Hammer and a Nail
by DTS Guru
Summary: Sometimes the wolf chooses an imprint that surprises everyone.  The pairing seems completely wrong on the surface.  But as the two strive to make their relationship work, will they find the wolf knew what he was doing after all? Rated for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**AN: Can't promise I'll be quick to update on this one. But it's been forever since I've posted anything so I wanted to throw something out there. If you've got the time and inclination lemme know what ya think.**

**Disclaimer: SM wrote Twilight, not me.**

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><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I raised my hand to slap him, still riding high on the wave of righteous indignation.

But my palm never connected. Instead an over-heated band of steel engulfed my wrist. Hard black eyes met mine. We were standing so close the angle hurt my neck a little but I couldn't pull my eyes away from his. His dark eyes narrowed in anger.

"Tsk, tsk. It's not very lady-like to hit a person, unprovoked." His tone held a hard mocking edge.

I pulled against his grip, trying to free my hand. My anger was dissolving under his withering glare and fear was quickly taking its place. His grip was too strong. He had such a tight hold on me an observer wouldn't be able to tell I was struggling to break free. He had such total control over me through his overwhelming strength my arm wasn't budging at all.

His lip quirked up on the side, but there was no humor in his eyes. "Where do you think you're going, Sweetheart? You're staying right here with me."

I shook my head quickly in denial. "I'm sorry I tried to slap you. If you'll just let me go I'll go home. I'll leave Jake alone. I'll stop coming to La Push."

Whatever it took to get away, I'd do it. I'd stop coming where I clearly wasn't wanted, where I was obviously in harm's way. I would wither away in a slow, painful death in my room on the second floor of Charlie's house, but that was better than being snapped in two by these behemoths.

He growled, like a wild animal. Speaking through clenched teeth, he contradicted me. "You aren't going anywhere. You're mine."

The man next to him, Sam, stepped forward, placing a hand on the arm that held my wrist so tightly. Belatedly I realized that I would have finger shaped bruises.

"Paul, you need to calm down. You're scaring her. Hell, you're scaring me."

"Bella! Paul, get away from her!"

I jerked around at the sound of my name, pulling painfully against the grip on my wrist. Jake was running toward us, a mixture of confusion and anger on his face.

That same growling sound came from Paul again, only louder and more prolonged. And then the scenery was blurring as warm hands wrapped around me, yanking me swiftly backwards. Vertigo took over for a moment, and I lost what was happening around me. When I had my balance again I looked up to realize that I was now _behind_ Paul. But at least he had released my wrist. The hand was hovering there, right by my body. Like he was waiting for me to try to dart away. Like he would grab me if I made a run for it.

His other hand was held out defensively in front of himself, holding Jacob at bay. My friend was watching the aggressive man between us with a wary eye.

"What are you doing, Paul? Why are you trying to kidnap Bella?" Jake asked quietly, his tone soothing.

"She's mine," he repeated.

The boy on the other side of Paul looked between us a couple times, shaking his head. "He's finally lost his mind."

A snort came from the other side of Sam. "No shit. He doesn't even like the leech lover."

Paul's head whipped around. He snarled at the boy, looking more animal than human. "Don't call her that."

I backed up a step at the fierce expression on his face. His head immediately turned to me. "You aren't sneaking off."

I shook my head quickly. No, I was obviously not going to have the opportunity to sneak off.

Sam edged closer, earning a glare from Paul. But the older man continued his careful approach. "Paul. Help us out here. You're acting a little strange. What's going on? Why don't you let Bella go on home and you can have the day off? I think you could use some rest."

"She's not going anywhere!" Paul roared.

I gasped at the intensity of his declaration. I don't think even Charlie with his uniform and shotgun would have made an impression on the crazed lunatic holding me hostage. He really did think I was his. But why? What on earth had snapped in his head to make him act like this?

Someone had to put an end to this stalemate. No one was asking the right questions. No one was doing anything to calm him. Going against everything screaming inside me to run, I took a step toward him. His eyes immediately zeroed in on me again.

"Paul? Can you tell me why I need to stay?"

"You're _mine_." He reiterated.

I swallowed, leaning toward him a bit. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jake shaking his head. I could hear him telling me to stay back. But I ignored him. Reaching out, my hand only shaking a little, I gently touched his arm.

"But _why_ am I yours? _How_?"

As soon as I touched him his aggression seemed to lessen. His eyes were still burning into mine. He was still glaring. His teeth were still clenched. But at least he didn't look like he was about to kill everyone in the yard.

"You're my imprint."

The words meant nothing to me. But they sure had an impact on the rest of his audience. Sam let out a gush of air and stared at Paul and me with astonished comprehension. I heard what sounded like "Holy Shit" and "Fuck" simultaneously from the other two goons who had accompanied Sam and Paul from the forest.

Jacob had the most explosive reaction. Literally. I'd arrived at the Black residence already half believing his stories about the tribe descending from Wolves. How could I discredit him when I had dated a vampire? Who was I to say he was lying? But giving the legend the benefit of the doubt and seeing a person explode into a huge wolf are two completely different things.

I hadn't even managed to make up my mind yet whether I wanted to scream, pass out, or just stare when I felt a rough shove pushing me back. I stumbled a few feet before landing hard on my rear. And when I looked up again Paul wasn't there anymore. Instead there was another wolf standing where he used to be. He was facing off with the Jake wolf, a deep growl reverberating from him. My whole chest vibrated with the sound.

"Jared! Embry! Get Bella to safety! Take her to my place!" Sam commanded before turning into a large black beast.

The two cohorts moved to my side, one of them offering me a hand up. As soon as I reached for it the Paul wolf's head jerked around, sending a warning snap toward the boy. The boy jumped slightly before turning toward the wolf with an exasperated expression.

"What the hell, Man! I'm trying to get your girl to safety you Asswipe. You want her sitting here where you guys can roll into her? Crush her? Accidentally take a swipe at her?"

I scrambled to my feet, my eyes on the two wolves facing off. Jake, the rust colored wolf, kept lunging for every opening he thought he saw, trying to get to me. The slightly smaller, silver colored wolf was relentless though in his defense. I couldn't help but think he'd make a really good goalie.

Jake rushed our grouping again, pushing the silver wolf back a few steps. My two new friends put their arms out in front of me, pushing me backwards. Not being at all equipped with natural grace, I of course tripped over my own two feet. I hit the ground hard again, guaranteeing not only a bruised wrist but a bruised back side as well. My pride wouldn't be doing too well either if I survived this, if I'd had any after _they_ left anyway.

"Shit. Jake wasn't kidding. You do fall down a lot." The one on my right said with a laugh.

The other nodded as he reached down to pull me up. "I just figured you were making excuses for that monster of a boyfriend."

As soon as his hand slipped under my elbow to pull me up, the Paul wolf whipped around again with a fierce snarl. The hand disappeared from under my elbow, taking all of my support with it. I suffered the indignity of being dropped on the ground as he jerked his hand away, heeding the warning Paul was giving one and all. It seemed Paul didn't want anyone touching me, not even to help me stand up. So I had to push myself to my own feet.

As suddenly as the wolf standoff had begun, it ended.

And then Paul was Paul again. Paul was a very naked Paul. Blushing, I looked over to the two boys standing with me, silently asking them to get me out of this embarrassing situation. The one on my left shook his head at Paul.

"Manners, Paul. Manners."

Paul sneered at him. "She might as well get used to it. Get away from her."

They both jumped away from me like I had suddenly revealed a bomb strapped to my chest.

Paul brazenly stormed over to me, not appearing the least bit modest about his nude state. I closed my eyes for a second as his hand slid around my bicep. Holy crow, there was an angry, naked man touching me. How was this really happening to me?

"We're going to Emily's."

"Isn't that where Sam told us to take her in the first place while you and Jake had your pissing contest," one of the boys popped off. Finally, my brain kicked in, labeling him as Jacob's friend Embry who had joined Sam's little cult. I opened my eyes quickly to confirm I was hearing who I thought I'd heard.

Paul bared his teeth at Embry.

Embry saluted, stepping back toward the forest. "See ya there."

The other one turned to us. Sam had named him, but I couldn't remember what name he had used. "You really aren't doing much for the whole 'keep the pack inconspicuous' rule there, Paul. Have you considered shorts?"

Paul gave a warning growl.

The other boy glanced over at the two wolves watching the scene. "You got some extra shorts in the house, Jake? I think Bella might be a little more comfortable if she wasn't being manhandled by the Pant-less Wonder here."

The Jake wolf nodded once before taking off at a sprint for the house, leaving me with two strange men and a wolf.

I shifted anxiously, more fidgeting than an actual escape attempt. But Paul didn't seem to know the difference because his grip tightened. A whimper escaped my lips before I could stop it. I would have a matching set of bruises.

His narrow-eyed glare bore into the side of my head. "If you'd stop trying to get away, I wouldn't have to restrain you."

I turned to meet his gaze, carefully keeping my eyes from dipping below chin level. I did not need to see another glimpse of what God had gifted him with. "I'm still in school, Paul. I can't stay here forever. Eventually my father is going to wonder where I am and come looking for me. You do know who my father is don't you? He's the Chief of Police for Forks."

His laughter was the least cheerful I had ever heard. "Let him come. I can take him. No one's taking what's mine."

Jacob came bounding out of his house, interrupting my stream of thought. He was covered only by a pair of shorts, and he held two more pair in his hands. Thank goodness. The mad man would be clothed again.

I averted my gaze as Sam shifted back into human form and pulled on the shorts. When Paul released my arm I took the opportunity to rub some of the blood back into the appendage. It had been starting to tingle from the blood loss. He not only made a good goalie, but his hands could also second as tourniquets.

I shook the nonsensical thoughts from my head as Paul's hand slid around my upper arm again.

"Paul, we're going to take Bella to my place to explain what exactly is going on here. Then you _will_ give her a choice on how she is going to react to this. And she _is_ going home, to her father's house, tonight." Sam's tone brooked no argument.

Paul sneered at Sam as his fingers dug into the skin of my arm. "Fine."

He immediately started hauling me toward the trees. I shot an anxious look toward Jake and Sam. That move only resulted in me missing a small branch on the ground, which tripped me up. Paul's tight grip on my arm prevented me from falling, but my arm twisted painfully as I jerked against him, caught half-way between the ground and his hold on me.

I whimpered as he ruthlessly hauled me to my feet. My shoulder felt like it was on the brink of being yanked out of socket.

"Keep your fucking eyes on the path," he growled at me.

Frowning, I looked at the ground in front of me. But if there was a path he was following, I couldn't see it. All I saw were more branches lying in wait, lightly camouflaged by the past autumn's fallen leaves. I must not have seen them all though because half a minute later I was rushing toward the ground again, only to be brought short by the painful jerk on my arm.

"I said watch where you're going!"

"I don't know where I'm going!" I cried out as he pulled me to my feet again.

"Give her a break," Jake called out angrily from behind us. "She's not used to hiking through this shit. You've got to make allowances for Bella."

Paul paused, turning slightly to meet Jake's verbal assault head-on. "Do not tell me what she does and does not need. I know what she needs. And being treated like a fragile little princess isn't it."

"You don't know shit about Bella," Jake mumbled.

The vibrations moved through Paul's body, down his arm, across his fingers and into my arm. It set off an uncomfortable tingling in my elbow, like I had hit my funny bone, a sensation I was intimately familiar with. His snarl had me cringing back as far as I could get, considering the grip he _still_ had on me.

"The minute I looked into her eyes, I learned more about her than you'll ever know. You want to back the fuck off."

His angry dark eyes swiveled to face me. "Keep your eyes focused on the ground you'll be stepping onto next. I'll pull you in the right direction. Think you can handle that?"

I nodded once, nervously trying to read his face. What was happening here? How could he know anything about me from simply looking in my eyes? And why the hell did the others seem to be giving his claims credence? They were behaving like he really did have a right to treat me any way he saw fit. Like they really did think I was somehow his property. I swallowed around the thick lump of fear in my throat. Would I really be allowed to leave this place? Sam had told Paul that he had to let me go home to Charlie, but when the time came, would Paul really let me go? I didn't see how he could, not with the way he was acting.

"Let's go." He said with one sharp pull on my arm.

I rushed to turn my gaze to the forest floor before me. He certainly wasn't going to wait for me to get my bearings. And I doubted he would react well to me falling so soon again after his little words of advice. The rest of our walk was fairly quiet. I concentrated on staying upright as Paul guided me through the trees, only stumbling a couple more times. I managed to keep myself upright though with minimal assistance from the steel cage around my arm.

And then we were suddenly exiting the forest, breaking out into a small yard surrounding a cute little cottage. Sam circled around us, jogging up to the porch with an eager expression.

Paul's grip tightened for a second, as he halted our forward motion. "Do _not_ stare at the scars on Emily's face."

Then we were moving again. His words played over in my head as I was pulled up the stairs and toward the front door. So, Emily had some kind of scaring on her face. How bad was it? It had to be fairly significant for him to feel the need to warn me.

And then the door was open and I was following Paul over the threshold. Everything went black as my eyes struggled to adapt to the change in lighting. Paul didn't slow down though. I stumbled after him as he pulled me further into the room. My hands immediately shot out in front of me, in an attempt to save myself from slamming into anything.

Just as my eyes were adjusting to the dimmer interior light, my hands bumped into a kitchen chair. Paul yanked it out of my way before roughly pushing me down into it. Finally, he released my arm. Before I could breath a sigh of relief at being free though, he had pulled another chair up and settled himself so close our thighs were pressing against each other from my hip to my knee.

Not comfortable with the intense stare down I could feel from his direction, I looked around the room only to encounter more eyes. I felt like they were all staring right at me. Embry and the other boy I couldn't remember the name of were seated at the table, both shoving muffins into their mouths, their eyes ping-ponging between Paul and me. Jake was leaning against the counter, alternating between glaring at Paul and sending me mournful looks. Then there was Sam and the woman he was wrapped around. For a moment I didn't understand why Paul had warned me about her scars. I didn't see anything unusual about her appearance at all, other than her beauty. Even with most of her face covered by hair, I could tell that this woman was more attractive than the average woman. Then Sam moved her hair to give her a kiss on the cheek and I knew exactly what he was talking about.

There were bold scars right across one side of her face, marring her profile. I could still see the ghost of how beautiful she had been before the scarring event. And judging by the way Sam was plastering her in affection, he didn't seem to think her allure was diminished at all. That made me wonder if he'd always known her in this state, or if he had known her before. And what exactly had happened to her?

The long leg that had been pushing steadily against mine suddenly nudged me, bringing me back to myself. Paul had warned me not to stare. And what was I doing? I was staring. I didn't know why I shouldn't stare, other than the general rudeness of the behavior, if it would upset the woman, Sam, or Paul. But I didn't really want to find out. I wanted this whole ordeal to be over with so I could escape already, if escape was really an option.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Sam pull away from the woman. I risked glancing up, carefully training my eyes away from her scars, focusing instead on her eyes. Sam motioned toward Paul and me.

"Seems we've got a new pack member of sorts. Emily, meet Bella. She's Paul's imprint. Bella, this is my imprint Emily."

Great, but what on earth was an imprint?

I sent Emily a small smile that was quickly overrun by nerves. As soon as my lips began to wobble I wiped the grin from my face and looked down at the table.

"Aren't you the one who was dating a Cullen?" She asked.

I nodded once, darting my gaze up to meet hers briefly then back down again. How did she know about my dating history? But then I remembered that Sam had been the one to drag me out of the woods. As close as the two appeared, he would have shared the events of that evening with her. And if the wolves and the Cold Ones were really sworn enemies, as Jacob's legends had declared, then she would know all about the idiot girl in the nearby town who was stupid enough to date one.

"So, you're the Vampire Girl." Even though her tone was nothing but friendly, the words poked at the edges of the hole in my chest.

"She's not a Vampire Girl," Paul responded curtly. "She's mine."

Was anyone else sick of hearing that? Because I'd heard that phrase enough to last a lifetime.

"Why don't you go ahead and explain that now, Paul?" Sam prodded him gently, leaning against the counter, pulling Emily back against his chest.

Paul shifted slightly beside me, so he was twisted in the chair to face me. "You're mine."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Embry snorted. "You've covered that."

Paul's head snapped around, a low growl reverberating from his throat.

"Let him do this his way, Embry," Sam warned.

Paul turned back to me. "An imprint is a wolf's mate. When a wolf sees her for the first time he just knows. The bond is formed and it can't be broken."

My stomach dropped and my throat tightened again. "N-no. That can't be right. He said I was _his_ mate."

Paul's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

I cringed back at the anger in his voice. "E-E-Edward Cul-llen."

His form began to shake. "That damn leech is not your fucking mate. I am."

I watched him warily. Something in me was telling me to shut up, but another, more loyal side could not ignore the insult to the boy I had loved for so long. "He said that once a Vampire finds his mate, he is irrevocably changed. That he'll love that person for the rest of eternity."

His lips pulled back for a second, revealing a flash of startling white teeth before he started to speak. "And where the fuck is he now? Huh? See, I'm thinking I wouldn't leave you laying in the fetal position in the middle of the motherfuckin' woods."

I absorbed his words for a long moment. But apparently that hadn't been a rhetorical question because a second letter he was pressing me on it, slamming a hand down on the table for emphasis. "Well? Where's the fucker now? Mates don't just walk away. Mates don't leave. So where is he?"

I wrapped my arms around myself as the pain flared in my chest. I couldn't meet his eyes as I replied so I looked down into my lap instead. "He didn't want me anymore. I wasn't good enough."

"Bullshit." Paul retorted angrily. "You're too good for him. You have shitty taste in boyfriends, and friends," he flit his eyes over to Jake and back. "You're way out of his league. And he knew that. He realized he was getting in deeper than he ever intended, got scared, and ran like a little bitch."

I frowned down into my lap. I wanted to contradict him, defend my ex-boyfriend's honor. But I just didn't have the words. How did I fight Paul's logic about the mate issue? That had been a question I'd asked myself, in my darkest moments. How was _he_ able to walk away from me so easily if I was his mate, and vampires mated for eternity? But I couldn't agree with the rest of Paul's case. It wasn't that I was too good, it was that I had never measured up. And I never would.

Paul wasn't done though. "But I'm not fucking around when I say you're mine. And now that I've found you, I'm not ever letting you out of my sight."

"Paul," Sam warned. "She does have a choice in this."

Trying, unsuccessfully, to ignore Paul, I locked my gaze on Sam. "What are my options?"

Sam's eyes shifted nervously to Paul, then back to me. Before he could answer though, Jacob pushed himself away from the counter. "You can tell him to fuck off! That's what you can do! He's completely wrong for you!"

"Jacob!" Sam's voice rang out with authoritative disapproval. "You're out of line. Bella is no longer your concern."

Sam turned back to me, his hard expression softening only slightly. "You do have some control over your relationship with Paul. For instance, Emily and Kim both chose a romantic relationship. But Paul will be whatever you need. So if what you need right now is a friend, that's what he'll be."

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "So when did I say I need a possessive drill sergeant?"

Paul crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Some things I just know, Babe."

Sam cleared his throat, pulling my attention back to him. "Obviously Paul would be more comfortable if you lived on the reservation, but since you don't, would you have a problem with spending your free time here? Like you've been doing with Jake?"

Paul growled again. "Not exactly like that."

Holy crow, Paul growled _a lot._

Sam held a hand up in Paul's direction, sending the boy a 'calm down' look. Then he looked my way again. "You're seeing one side of Paul right now, but there's more to him. I think after the shock of today's events wears off and once you've had a chance to get to know him, you'll find that you really enjoy his company."

So why did Sam's eyes look so doubtful when he said that?

"Not to mention she'll be safer here," the one I couldn't name stated.

Paul grunted, shifting closer to me.

"Safer?" I asked nervously. How could I be safer surrounded by giant werewolves who, according to the police reports and newscasters, were murdering innocent hikers and campers?

And after seeing how easily Paul lost his temper, and the resulting change that overtook his body, I could understand the how if not the why. It must be difficult to control a body that exploded into a beast like that at the slightest provocation. He'd nearly ripped off his friend's arm for offering to help me up off the ground. What would he do to a stranger who actually insulted him?

Sam nodded somberly. "There's been a lot of vampire activity in the area lately."

My heart twisted. What? Were _they_ back? I glanced quickly around the room. "What kind of activity?"

I couldn't let my hopes get up. There were other vampires out there, besides that family.

"It's a female. She's got some kind of goal and we're just in her way."

A weird tingle, a shot of warning, spread up my spine. "What does she look like?"

"She's got curly red hair. Red eyes. She showed up after we took out that leech with the dreadlocks in the meadow. The one that was about to eat you."

My heart stopped. My brain froze. Everything in me screamed at me to get up out of the chair and run. Get as far away from La Push, from Forks, Washington as I could. I was glued to my chair though, completely immobile as the reality set in. A band tightened around my chest. Victoria was back and she was back for only one reason. She wanted me. Laurent had warned me but I had been too stupid to get out then. Why hadn't I listened? Why had I let denial shove his threats to the side?

She was going to find me and kill me. Make me pay for the death of her mate. Because that's what true mates did. They were loyal and nothing could tear them apart. And if something did happen to one, the survivor would avenge that loss. There was no choice in the matter. Victoria wouldn't stop coming until she had me.

"Breathe, Bella," Paul ordered gruffly.

Only then did I realize why my chest was growing so tight. I gasped, breathing out one word on the exhale. "Victoria."

"Of course you would know her fucking name." Paul muttered. "Where exactly is the danger magnetic located on you? I can't see it, but I sure as hell know it's there somewhere. So is this another one of your friends? She trying to pop in for some tea and a mani-pedi?"

I shook my head numbly as all the feeling drained out of me. I was just too tired to fight it anymore. I was going to die. A vampire was going to be the death of me. My days had been numbered since that first day _he_ had laid eyes on me, or more accurately, smelled me. He might as well have drained me right there in the science lab. Saved us all some trouble. Carlisle would have been disappointed, Charlie would have been heartbroken but they both would have eventually gotten over it.

"She wants to kill me. Her mate is dead because of me."

A loud squeal filled the room as a chair was shoved roughly across the floor. Paul's steps echoed throughout the kitchen as he paced behind me. I ignored his menacing form and recounted the story, beginning to end, in a hollow, emotionless voice.

Finally, I raised my eyes to meet Sam's intense gaze, speaking wearily. "So now she's going to kill me."

Paul abruptly slammed both hands on the table next to me. "That bitch isn't laying a finger on you! You're going to stay here in La Push where we can keep you safe."

Panic filled me. "I have to go home! I have to make sure Charlie is safe!"

"Like Hell! You're not going anywhere, Sweetheart."

"Paul!" Sam's tone rang out, a clear warning tone. He ran a hand over his face. "The Cullens are gone for good, right?"

I nodded slowly. "He said I'd never see them again."

"Good," Sam stated, raising his head. "We'll expand our patrol to Forks, so we can include the Swan residence. We'll keep you safe."

Looking around the room, a new kind of panic set in. "I can't let you do that! You don't understand how strong these things are. I don't want anyone to get hurt for me."

Jacob chuckled bitterly. "Bella, you're the one who doesn't understand. We can take on those leeches one on one any day. Didn't take five seconds to take care of Dreadlocks."

Embry grinned. "And the best part is, we out number them."

So why was Victoria still on my tail?

As if he'd heard my question, Paul turned his head, staring down at me with an intense expression. "This one is different. We're always just a step behind her. We get there just after she makes another kill, just after she draws attention to herself. And the authorities and media are starting to catch on to the story."

I filed away the information about the killings to analyze later. Instead of focusing on the good news that Jake wasn't murdering innocent hikers, I instead decided to give these people every advantage I could. I wanted to live after all. And with the Cullens gone, they were my last line of defense.

"It's probably her gift."

Every eye in the room shifted to me. Once again, Sam was the spokesman. "What do you mean?"

"A lot of the vampires have a special gift. Like her mate was a tracker. Alice is psychic. E-Edward can read minds-"

"What!" Several voices bellowed at once.

Once they were all calmed down, I attempted to explain again. Guilt stabbed at me. Should I really be sharing these intimate details about the Cullen family with a group of practical strangers? But, then common sense and my self-preservation instinct spoke up to remind me that these boys were willing to put their lives on the line to protect me. The least I could do was share vital information toward that end. Even up the playing field a little. And if this made me guilty, well, it was just one more reason I was unworthy.

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><p><strong>AN: So, there ya go. Any good? Complete shit? I'm feeling a little rusty here.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: Nothing's changed, Twilight still belongs to SM.**

**AN: Wow. Reviewers, you guys are awesome. This past week has been long and hard but the reviews have been little shining spots of happiness. So thanks. :-)**

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><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

My hands shook as I slid the spare key into the lock, twisting until the deadbolt clicked into place. It took almost all that I had to hold my strength in check, to keep from snapping the key in the lock. But I managed to pull it out whole, slipping it into my pocket. And that man called himself a police chief? Amateur. I couldn't have been quiet in my retreat.

Turning, I loped into the woods, my form still vibrating to the point of blurring. I had to get out of sight, before I exposed the tribe's secret. I was too angry, too worked up. It was all her fault.

The thought snapped off. The wolf was too close to the surface to let it continue. He wouldn't hold anything against her. Of course she would be blameless in his love-hazed eyes.

A form stepped out in front of me just as I caught his scent. "What do you think you're doing?"

I slammed to a halt, squaring my shoulders.

Sam glanced at the porch I'd run from. His face paled. "You didn't…you didn't hurt her?"

I sneered. "I'm not you."

His eyes shot back to mine as color returned back to his face. "Did she invite you in?"

I shrugged.

His jaw clenched. "You can't go into her house without an invitation. Do you understand?"

Something rose up in me at the words. How dare the sanctimonious bastard try to order me to stay away from what was mine. If he seriously tried to keep us apart I would rip his smug little head right off his self-righteous neck.

He stared at me for a long moment. Then his stance relaxed. His eyes softened. "Look, I understand. I know what you're going through. It's a shock. Looking at a stranger and suddenly having these strong feelings for her. Jared had it easy. He's known Kim since Kindergarten. Today was the first time you've talked to her. It's going to take some time to adjust. But you have to ease up and stop scaring Bella."

I bared my teeth as her name crossed his lips.

Sam shook his head at my reaction. "You can't do that, Paul. You can't act like a barbarian anytime someone else looks at her or touches her. I know how badly you want to, but you can't."

My fists clenched. Sam didn't know shit. None of us had been phasing back when he imprinted on Emily, but we would have heard about him acting like this. He hadn't. He'd just scarred her for life instead. My wolf growled at the thought. There would be no new scars on Bella.

I spun around with a growl, angry at the sudden fierce desire to protect a girl I had hated when I woke up that morning. Why should I care if she was hurt? She had been fucking a damn leech. She deserved to be hurt. The wolf rose up with a roar, doubling me over with the instinct to phase. I fought it off, clutching at every human thought I had. Brushing my teeth. Attending class. Doing my laundry. Hell, even wiping my ass. Sure didn't do that as a wolf.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder. "Stop fighting it so hard, Paul. You're just going to hurt yourself. And Bella."

The words hit me harder than I had expected and I dropped to my knees. I gripped my stomach tighter, running images of Christmas presents and Saturday morning cartoons through my head. Anything to resist the pull to phase. His words were there too though. On a loop even after he walked away. I would hurt her. If I kept resisting I would hurt her.

I couldn't hurt Bella.

Her face swam to the forefront of my memory. I saw her standing before me, hand raised ready to strike. Her eyes were shining with rage, her hair loose and blowing in the slight breeze. Her lips were yelling insane accusations. She was fierce.

Then later, as she tried to pull away from me, confused and scared. She sank into herself. All of the anger drained away, along with the color from her cheeks. It was like the life fled from her body. She let me drag her around like a doll. Indignant rage welled up in me at the thought. She shouldn't let anyone order her around, not even me.

The wolf sat up a little straighter.

I raised my eyes slowly to look at the window of her room as I heard her sleepy voice. She must be talking in her sleep. Murmuring Jake's name. My teeth ground together as a red haze swept over me. Then the words faded, slurred. She was mumbling incoherently. Pleading. The timbre of her voice changed to fear. And then the screaming began.

I was on my feet and to the edge of the trees before I could think straight. I stopped though before I could run out across the yard. What was I going to do? Barge into the house? Storm up the stairs, force my way into her room and demand that she stop having nightmares? Because I sure as hell didn't know how to comfort her. She'd only scream louder if she saw me. And then her father would shoot me.

I crossed my arms, glaring at the house now.

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I sat on the couch, my arms wrapped around my upraised knees. My eyes darted between the front door and the doorway that led to the kitchen. I couldn't help the overwhelming sensation of being watched. There was someone right outside, just waiting for me to place one foot out of the house. Then they would snatch me up and I would never see Charlie again.

It didn't matter that a pack member was supposed to be out there watching me. The panic in my mind screamed that whoever was out there wasn't there to keep me safe. That presence was a threat. My life was in danger.

Huddling on the couch was probably not the most effective self-defensive maneuver I could take up. But my body was on auto-pilot. It had been ever since Sam had ordered Paul, once again, to release me. Paul had not been the slightest bit happy about that. In fact, he stalked me all the way back to my truck. Jake came along too, because the walk wasn't awkward enough without him.

Paul's angry glare had burned into my neck with every unsteady step I had taken through those trees. His growl made me cringe every time Jake reached out a helping hand. I wanted to yell at him that Jake was my friend, he was just doing what any caring person would do in that situation, trying to keep me from planting my face in the rotting leaves beneath our feet. But I knew Paul wouldn't understand. He truly believed that I was his, and no one else should be touching me. He also didn't seem to mind if I fell. So I did my best to ignore his very vocal though non-verbal threats and accepted Jake's assistance with all the grace I could muster.

When we finally emerged next to Billy's house that beat up old red truck had never looked so good. I had rushed to the ancient vehicle, started it up, and pushed that beast to its limits. And with every mile I covered I could still feel his eyes burning into my skin.

That feeling had stuck with me all evening and through the night. It hadn't let up when I showered or sat through my breakfast of cold cereal. The kitchen had felt too exposed, with its large window in the backdoor. So I had moved to the living room. I sat on the couch, wrapped in my most comfortable shirt. It was oversized and well-worn flannel. The sleeves hung down to my fingertips. I always wore the shirt when I was sick. It gave me a ridiculous sense of protection when I pulled it on that morning, plus it hid the bruises on my arms.

I huddled on the couch, the edges of the sleeves gripped tightly in my hands, considering the second story. Only supernatural predators would be able to easily attack if I moved upstairs. But then, weren't all my assailants supernatural? Wait, no, there had been that one time in Port Angeles. Oh to have a gang of drunk would-be rapists on my trail again.

I shook my head. I was really losing it. My life had hit an all time low when I was wishing for the rapists to come back.

"That's it." I pushed myself off the couch.

I had to do something. If not for the whole Paul situation, I'd go to La Push, hang out in Jake's garage. Try to get some normalcy back in my life. That would never happen again though. Because there was something out there watching me. And it was either Paulor Victoria_._ I didn't think she had the kind of patience it would take to watch me waiting alone in the house like a sitting duck.

Sam had probably ordered Paul not to force his way into my home. But if I stepped outside? All bets were surely off. I probably wouldn't make it to the first porch step. And even if I did make it all the way to La Push before he forced his presence on me, just how fun would that be? Sitting in Jake's garage with my little guard dog making a fuss every time someone looked at me wrong.

I could always do homework. It would take a miracle at this point for me to graduate. I had been comatose too long. It was time to start making an effort again.

* * *

><p>I listened to the familiar sound of Charlie opening the front door and clomping over to the coat rack. But his steps continued, he didn't stop to hang up his gun belt like usual. Instead, his head popped around the corner of the kitchen doorway.<p>

"Any particular reason there's a boy hangin' round outside?"

I froze a second too long. Unfortunately I had been in the middle of pulling a casserole dish out of the oven. The heat quickly began to seep through the potholders between my hands and the glass dish. Moving quickly, I slid the dish onto the stovetop, shoving a pot of green beans out of the way in the process. Then I rushed to the sink, elbowing the cold water on.

Only once my hands were under the cold water did I turn my attention back to Charlie. "What? Who's out there?"

"One of the boys from La Push."

My stomach churned with anxiety. It had to be Paul. Why had I even asked? I'd thought he would have the common decency to keep his stalker self hidden in the trees. Guess not.

Charlie edged into the kitchen. "You know anything about this, Bella?"

I shook my head, darting a glance at Charlie from the corner of my eye. "Where is he?"

His eyes narrowed. "Edge of the yard, by the trees."

I shook my head again. "I don't know why he's there."

Charlie grunted then took a step toward the door. "Guess I'll go run him off then."

Images of Charlie lying mangled on the forest floor with a bullet-ridden wolf lying a few feet away flashed through my head. I couldn't let that happen. I stepped forward. "I, uh, I might know who it is though."

He turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "That right?"

I nodded, before turning off the water and heading out the door. I kept my eyes down as I made my way out the back door. I could feel him as soon as I stepped outside. My eyes stayed down though as I made my way to the porch steps, then across the yard.

I stopped half-way across the yard, keeping my eyes down as I spoke. Anxiety tore through me. "You can come in if you want. There's enough to share."

"Your father isn't my biggest fan."

I risked a glance up. His dark eyes were running up and down my body, analyzing everything about me. Then they darted up to a point behind me.

I turned to see Charlie peering out the back door. He was watching us with a critical eye. Looking back at Paul, I nodded. "Come on in. He doesn't bite."

I didn't wait for an answer. I knew he would follow me. He was too possessive, too obsessed with me to just let me walk away. No, he would follow.

Charlie opened the door as I approached, but his eyes were trained on the figure close behind me. "I didn't know we were expecting company."

"Dad, Paul is a friend from La Push. Paul, this is my dad, Charlie."

"We've met," Charlie assured with distaste.

"Officer," Paul greeted solemnly.

I motioned toward the table. "Have a seat, Paul. What would you like to drink? We have tea and water."

"Water's fine."

Nerves fluttered in my stomach as I rushed to fill a glass with water. My brain was finally kicking in. What had I been thinking? Why was Paul sitting at my kitchen table? Why did I think this was a good idea? The whole room was filled with tension now. I could have ordered him to leave, not invited him in!

"You eyeing my beer, Son?" Charlie accused as I spun around to deliver the glass of water.

Paul was leaning back in his seat, arms crossed loosely. His large frame seemed to take up at least two-thirds of the table. His eyes had been on me, I'd felt them burning into me. But as soon as Charlie spoke, he turned his attention to my father.

"No." His answer was curt, harsh. And apparently not satisfactory.

Charlie leaned forward, pointing toward Paul. "You think I don't remember you? I've had you in the back of that cruiser more times than I can count. Last five times was for drunk and disorderly, with assault and battery thrown in."

Paul's leg moved out to lean against mine as I leaned over to place his water next to his empty plate. His eyes were still glued to Charlie's though. "And how long ago has it been since I've seen the back of that cruiser, Officer? Six months? Eight? A year now?"

Charlie didn't have a response to that.

Maybe if they had food shoved in their faces they would calm down a bit. I rushed back to the stove, intent on setting the table as quickly as possible. Then we could eat and I could push Paul out the door again. Inviting him in had been a giant mistake. Insanity had clearly overtaken me for that brief moment in time. Or the imprint. But they were really the same thing, weren't they? Paul was not my mate. My mate had left me. Abandoned me in the woods.

The ball of nerves in my stomach swelled as I cut the baked zitti into squares, serving first Charlie, then Paul, and finally myself. Then I portioned out the side dishes before taking my seat. I was across from Charlie, and next to Paul. Guilt stabbed through my gut. Paul had taken _his_ seat. With his overly large frame spilling over the edges of the chair, his legs stretching out under the table to rest against mine, his arms stretching out too far, I couldn't even pull up a memory of _him_ in that seat any longer.

Dismay filled me as I shot glances his direction. He was infiltrating my life. In just a manner of twenty-four hours he had managed to gain a seat at my dinner table. And _I_ had been the one to invite him! How was I going to keep him out if things were moving at this pace?

"How about you put that fork in your mouth this time?" Paul growled.

I looked up in surprise, the fork dropping from my hand.

"W-what?"

"You want to watch how you talk to my daughter." Charlie warned.

Paul sent Charlie an impatient glance before turning back to me. His tone reflected all of that impatience when he spoke. "You're mixing up the food to make it look like you're eating. But you haven't put any of it in your mouth. You're too damn thin. You need to eat."

"Bella?" Charlie questioned. His eyes were begging me to contradict Paul.

I couldn't do it though. I hadn't tasted anything yet. My stomach was too twisted up. Having Paul at the dinner table was too distracting, too nerve-wracking.

I lowered my eyes guiltily.

"Bella," Charlie sighed sadly. "Bells, you have to eat. You're gonna feel sick tomorrow if you don't eat tonight."

Paul snorted. "Look at the girl. She hasn't been eating for months. I'm surprised she has the energy to walk around."

Now they were both giving me disapproving looks. How did that happen? How did Charlie and Paul join forces in ten minute's time?

Shooting them both a glare, I picked up the fork and with a pointed look at both of them, I shoved it in my mouth. Charlie's lips twitched the slightest bit. He could appreciate my stubborn moment. He was just glad to see me showing any emotion at all. The poor man was probably sick of living with an extra from Night of the Living Dead.

Paul's neutral expression never wavered. He just sat there, watching me chew. He even watched me swallow. Only then did he cock an eyebrow and react. "Well? One bite isn't going to fill you up. Keep going."

Charlie made a little noise that sounded suspiciously like an aborted chuckle. I shot him a quick look. His head was down and he was focusing on his dinner.

I dropped my fork. Meeting Paul's eyes, I moved my hand slowly to my glass of water. Paul was _not_ going to force me to do anything I didn't want to do. He had no control over me. No influence. I wouldn't allow it.

His dark eyes watched me bring the glass up to my lips. Watched me swallow twice. Watched me lower the glass back down. As soon as my fingers touched the cool metal of the fork again, he spoke in a cold voice.

"You done stalling now?"

I glanced over at Charlie. His lips were definitely twitching. And look at that. He had finished his beer already. I hopped out of my seat, dropping my fork with a clatter. I had never taken so long to get him another in my entire life.

Once again, Paul waited until I picked up my fork to speak. This time he directed it to Charlie though. "She always this stubborn?"

Charlie finally let out an amused grunt. "You should have seen her as a toddler. Took us hours to get her to go to bed."

* * *

><p>There was an edge of excitement in the crowd ahead of me as I made my way toward the parking lot. Guys were muttering to each other and girls were giggling. I shrugged it off as their reactions to the upcoming prom since we'd all had to pass the numerous posters on the way out of the school, an event I had absolutely no interest in. And then they started to look back at me.<p>

I glanced down at myself. What? Had an ink pen burst on me? Had I spilled my lunch on myself? Had I walked around all day with my shirt buttoned wrong? Why was everyone looking at me?

I kept my eyes down as I made my way through the masses. Usually the students cleared out of the school fairly quickly, all in a hurry to make it to the various pursuits that occupied their after-school hours: work, sports, partying.

After a few more steps I began to feel it. A burning sensation on my forehead. I knew that sensation. I risked darting my eyes up.

What was he doing here?

Paul was leaning against the driver's side door of my truck. His arms were crossed. His face was set in that familiar stone expression. He looked like a bodyguard. Or a bouncer.

And he was waiting for me.

"So, Bella! Have you thought anymore about it? You wanna see a movie tonight? Or tomorrow. Tomorrow works for me, too." The unwelcome voice grated on my nerves.

Paul straightened up with a scowl as Mike bumped his arm into mine playfully. I sucked in a lung-full of air. This could turn ugly so very, very quickly. I didn't really like Mike. And I would love for him to stop trying with me. It was never going to happen with us. But letting Paul deliver that message was not the way to get it across to Mike. I wanted the poor guy to survive.

I slowed my steps, my eyes on Paul as I spoke. "Mike, I'm not going to the movies with you."

"Hey, if you're worried about your homework, we could always wait until the weekend. I mean, I can have Mom rearrange our schedules, so we can both be off Saturday evening."

My heart started to pound as Paul pushed off the truck. Oh no. He was headed this way. I had to get rid of Mike. Now.

I stopped moving altogether. "Mike, you're a good friend. A really good _friend._"

My brain stalled as I went into panic mode. Paul was covering the ground too quickly. He was almost there. What could I say to get Mike to understand? Paul was going to go all caveman with his "she's mine" declarations. The whole school would label me as more of a freak than before, when I was singled out by _them._ That, or Paul would tear into the helpless boy without any warning at all. I had to do something.

"I'm just not interested in being more than friends," I pushed the foreign words out of my mouth. I had never in my life had to give the "let's be friends" talk. It made me feel horrible and guilty. And a small part of me was willing to give him a shot, just to make that sick feeling in my stomach go away.

And then I felt heat enveloping me as a large arm slid around my shoulder. "You coming, Babe? We're gonna be late."

Mike's eyes widened as he took in the giant who had walked up and pulled me into his side. I fought to keep my breathing even. To keep the smile plastered to my face.

"Yeah. See you at work, Mike."

I let Paul guide me back toward my truck. His arm heavy on my shoulders, heat seeping into my skin. Everyone was still staring at us, or glaring in Lauren's case. I wanted to disappear.

When we reached the truck, Paul popped the door open quickly. In a startling move, he wrapped warm hands around my waist, hitching me up into the truck before I even realized what he was doing.

"Move." He ordered, snatching the keys out of my too lax hand.

He didn't even give me a chance to react before he placed a hand on my hip, pushing me over to the middle seat. Then he climbed in and started up the engine.

"You gonna buckle yourself? Or do you really want everyone here to see me doing it for you?"

I experienced a split second of doubt. Would he really do that to me in front of my whole school? What was I thinking? Of course Paul would reach across me to buckle me up like a toddler. With everyone still watching the Paul and Bella show, I'd never live that down. I scrambled to pull the belt across my lap.

I hugged my backpack to my chest as he pulled away from the school. "So, where are we going?"

He was silent for a long moment. I opened my mouth to ask again but he finally answered. "I'll take you back to your place."

"Oh." I frowned at the road for a minute. "But…back there you said we had somewhere to be."

Why was I acting like I wanted to go wherever he had planned to take me? I should be insisting that he get out of my truck. Not trying to force a conversation. What on earth was wrong with me?

"You'd rather I turn us around and go back to rip his arms off?" Paul growled. "Or maybe clawed his eyes out? I don't like the way he was looking at you."

I shivered at the anger in his voice. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words would come out. I didn't like the way Mike looked at me either.

We were both quiet for the duration of the ride. I wanted to use the silence as an opportunity to think of an escape route. A way out of this situation with Paul. But my brain was frozen. The tension in the cab of the truck was too thick. The air felt like it was a solid entity. Like I should be able to see it. I wasn't even sure how I was able to pull it into my lungs. I should be gagging on it.

Paul pulled the keys out of the ignition. "I've got patrol tomorrow afternoon, so I can't pick you up from school. But you can call me if that asswipe starts bothering you again. Just leave a message and I'll take care of it."

I stared at him in confusion. He was sitting there, holding my keys out toward me. What exactly was he getting at?

Wait? Call him? What? "I don't have your number."

My bag was yanked roughly from my grasp. He rifled through it quickly, coming up with my cell phone while I sat there with my mouth hanging open. When did I say I even _wanted_ his number? His fingers moved quickly over the numbers. The hole in my chest flared to life. This shouldn't be happening. There shouldn't be a boy sitting in my truck, programming his number into my phone. Not a boy who wasn't _him_ anyway.

Harsh, dissonant guitar riffs filled the cab suddenly. Paul sent me an impatient look as I jumped. He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, holding it up to show my number on his screen.

Great. And now he had my number.

I jumped again when he threw my phone back into my bag and then tossed the bag at me. Then he opened the driver's door and slid out.

"I gotta run. Get inside and lock the door." He dug into his pocket, pulling out a key. "And stop hiding this above the door jam. That's the worst damn hiding place I've ever seen."

He dropped the key on the driver's seat, then turned and walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

I made it ten feet into the woods before I burst out of my clothes.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fucking shit. I left fucking bruises on her fucking lily white arms. Big ass ones. The skin around her wrists was marred by big ugly finger-shaped black marks where the blood had pooled.

My stomach rolled. Never before had I felt the urge to vomit in wolf form. But everything in my stomach was threatening to rise up.

I'd hurt her. If I could beat the shit out of myself I would. I had barely held it together in front of her. I'd spotted her wrist as I walked up to run interference with the douche hitting on her. The slim hand had been holding onto the strap of her backpack, the blazing white reflection of her skin broken up by the bruises. My thoughts scattered as I covered those last few feet. For a split second I had been ready to hunt down the bastard who dared to lay a hand on my girl.

Then I had realized I had been the one to lay my hands on her.

I'd been so high on the euphoria of the imprint bond that day, I hadn't even realized what I was doing. I'd heard her whimpers alright. But I'd misread them. She was trying to get away. She was afraid of me. She was angry. So of course she was making noises. Never once had it crossed my mind that she was hurting. My stomach flipped as acid filled my mouth.

Fuck-up that I was, I'd hurt the one person on the planet that I lived to protect, within seconds of first meeting her. Fuck, and I'd been so arrogant about it all. I'd told Black that I knew what she needed and I didn't even know when I was hurting her. Those first few hours had felt like someone slipped me ecstasy. He'd be ecstatic when he saw those bruises.

_"Meet me at my place,"_ Sam's thought filled my head. It wasn't quite a command, but it was close.

I could feel his intent too. He understood what I needed. He'd been there. He'd hurt Emily. He knew the pain. Maybe we could beat some of that pain out of each other. We'd sure as hell try.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: Again, not mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

"_You really don't need to be here,"_ I thought toward Jared as I licked my wounds.

Jared sat on his haunches, settling in. _"You really think you can protect her in your condition?"_

I growled. _"I can still take you."_

Amusement filled his mind. _"Right. Anytime you're ready, Big Boy." _The amusement drifted from his thoughts as worry settled in,_ "Sam and you are both going to be out for days. If that leech showed up tonight you'd both be a midnight snack."_

I snarled and crouched forward, or tried to at least. The bones in my left foreleg, or arm when I was human, hadn't quite fused back together enough to support the weight. I went down with a whimper. Jared snickered, which sounded creepy as hell from a wolf.

_"You should be at home, resting. Like Sam,"_ Jared urged.

_ "I'm not leaving her."_

Jared nodded. _"Neither am I. I don't want either one of you to get hurt."_

_ "She's not going to get hurt,"_ I stated angrily.

We both quietly watched the house for a few minutes. I sank down to my belly as the pain throughout my body began to wear me down. I refused to leave though. As long as I wasn't on patrol I would be as close to her as possible.

Jared sighed. _"I understand where you're coming from, especially with the leech after her. But you do realize you can protect her without being so overbearing? She's pack now. The pack will help you with this. There are better ways to go about this than smothering her."_

I turned a baleful eye on him. _"Did I tell you I thought you were jumping into bed with Kim too fast? Taking advantage of the crush she had on you since sixth grade? Keep your opinions to your own damn self."_

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I gripped the banister firmly with one hand while I made my way down the stairs, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes with the other. A glance out the window had assured me that Charlie was gone for the day, so I hadn't bothered to dress before tromping down the stairs. Which meant Paul had a nice long look at my boxers and sleeveless T-shirt before I realized he was sprawled across the couch.

I screamed when I came to the foot of the stairs and caught his movement from the corner of my eyes.

Paul raised a hand lazily to his forehead, giving me a one-fingered salute.

"Did Charlie let you in?" I asked incredulously.

He snorted. "Right."

Then he turned his attention back to the TV, reaching a hand to the remote to flick the volume on.

It was far too early in the morning to deal with Paul. I decided to revisit the mystery of his appearance after filling my coffee mug. Once I had my first sip breakfast sounded like a good idea too. So I filled a bowl with cereal, sliced a banana into it, and took my place at the table. I expected Paul to make his way into the kitchen, but he never did. As I slowly emptied my cereal bowl my brain puzzled over his presence. If Charlie hadn't let him in, and we all knew Charlie wouldn't have, then how exactly had he gotten in? I hadn't gotten around to finding a new hiding place for the spare key, so it was still in my room. And Charlie was fanatical about locking the door behind himself.

It finally hit me as I was rinsing my bowl. The key. He had the spare key the day before. How long had he walked around with that spare key in his possession? Long enough to make a copy obviously.

I stormed back into the living room. He was waiting for me with a little smirk.

"Give it to me."

His smirk widened. "Well if you insist, but I thought you'd want roses and candles and shit."

I stomped my foot. "The key! Give me the key you had made. You have no right having a key to my house!"

Paul's expression lost all humor. "Not happening."

I crossed my arms. "Charlie will not be happy about this."

Paul stood. "Charlie can go fuck himself. As long as you're living here, I'm going to have a key. Unless you want me breaking down the damn door."

We stood there, in a face off. It was a stalemate and I knew it. What was I going to do? Physically take the key away from him? I didn't stand a chance against him, even if he hadn't been a supernatural creature. And what if I did somehow manage to take it? He really would break the door down to get to me.

What was he even doing in my living room? Sam had given him an order to give me time to deal with all of this, to come to terms with it. "Why are you here, Paul? Aren't you supposed to be giving me space?"

He sent me that cocky grin. "You're the one who invited me in, Swan."

"For a meal. You have no right to barge in like this!"

Shrugging, he sat back on the couch, spreading his arms out to either side along the back. "Tough shit. You gonna get yourself dressed before I take you to school? Or do I have to do that for you?"

With a huff, I spun on my heel and headed up the stairs. I didn't want to push him. His lips may have been smirking, but his eyes had been hard as steel. He was serious.

I dressed quickly, putting no more effort into my appearance than I had all year. My hair went into a ponytail and I pulled on the first clean outfit I encountered. It hardly took any time. It wasn't like I had anyone to impress though.

Paul stood as soon as I began descending the stairs, grabbing a set of keys off the coffee table. After a second I realized that they were mine. Dismay rocked through me. He had been digging in my bag, again. Could he not keep his hands out of my things for five minutes? What else had he gone through?

Well, he would never know how I felt about it if I didn't speak up, would he? "I don't appreciate you going through my bag."

He cocked an eyebrow at me as he locked the front door behind us. "Yeah? Well I don't appreciate the fact that your room reeks of fucking bloodsuckers and Jacob fucking Black. Why the hell has that little bitch been in your fucking bedroom, _Bella_?"

Anger was rolling off of him. He'd seemed fairly calm in the house, but with one sentence I had flipped some kind of switch. My stomach quivered as I took a step back, instinctively lowering my eyes. "It's not like I invited him. He just showed up the other night. It was when he was trying to tell me about you guys."

With every step I took back, Paul advanced, until eventually I felt the siding of the house poking into my back.

"And what exactly happened once he was there? I could smell him on your bed." Paul hissed.

I frowned, jerking my gaze back up. "You were sniffing my bed? Was this while I was sleeping in it?"

His hand slammed open-palmed into the siding next to my head. "Don't change the fucking subject!"

"Nothing!" I yelped. "Nothing happened! He was just sitting there!"

My heart thundered in my chest, drowning out the sound of my gasping breath. I knew I was close to hyperventilating though. I could feel my lungs pumping the air in and out too fast. It should have been loud to me. It had to be deafening to Paul.

He stared down at me for the longest time. His dark eyes were wild with rage as they searched mine. Finally he pulled back. "Get in the truck."

Gripping my bag tightly, I slipped out from under him. Then I practically ran to the truck. I knew he would insist on driving. That wasn't even worth the argument. He would probably want me to sit in the middle again, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit next to him. He was too terrifying. So I opened the passenger side and climbed up, buckling myself in before he even opened his door.

He sent me a look but didn't comment on my seating choice.

Thankfully the drive to school was short. Mainly because Paul pushed the red truck as hard as it would go. It was also quiet until we were a block from school.

"You always have nightmares that bad, or is it just since I imprinted on you?" His tone was conversational, relaxed.

"Excuse me?" I was thrown for a second by the change in his tone.

His gaze darted to me and then back to the road. The violence from earlier was gone from his eyes. "You've had nightmares three nights in a row. Is that normal for you?"

I felt the heat spreading through my cheeks and knew that they were bright red. "Oh. Um. Yes."

He grunted in response, thankfully leaving the conversation at that. I did not want to delve any deeper into that little psychological minefield. He would blow up if he knew what those nightmares were about. Literally. In front of the entire Forks High School student population.

He pulled the keys out of the ignition, palming them. "So, I can't pick you up today."

I nodded. "You mentioned that yesterday."

"Right." He paused. "Don't let that prick harass you like that today. Stand up for yourself."

I shrugged my shoulders uncomfortably. It had been so hard to tell Mike that we were only friends the day before. I didn't think I could do it again if he hadn't gotten the message.

"Bella," Paul growled. "Don't shrink in on yourself like that. You gotta stop letting these little shits walk all over you. You're strong. You're better than them. You call me if you have any problems. Got it?"

Right. Paul would be the first person I would call for help.

He popped the driver's side door open. "I should be around your place by dinner."

I opened my door. "Oh…okaaaay."

Why should I care when he was patrolling? I puzzled with the thought while I walked around the truck to where he was leaning.

He grinned at me, like he'd just won some kind of point in an argument. "It's gonna be raining all afternoon. Think you can make something warm? Like stew? Or chili?"

My mouth fell open. Wait. He meant he was going to be done with patrol by the time dinner was ready at _my_ house!

"See ya then. My ride's here."

I barely caught the keys he tossed my direction. I was too busy trying to catch keys and being stupefied by his presumptions to even notice which one of the pack members was driving his get away car, much less argue that he wasn't invited to dinner at my house. I finally glanced up just in time to see that it was a large figure behind the wheel as they drove away.

I stared down at the keys in my hand, my mind spinning, as always after an encounter with Paul.

What? What was that? Was that an extra key on my key chain?

I separated it, looking closer. It had a little white label on the head of the key, with plain block lettering. There were four little letters. PAUL. Holy Crow. What was this? Was this a key to his _house?_

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

"So, what can I help you with?"

I leaned forward. "What can I do about nightmares?"

The doctor looked up from the chart, eyeing me.

"Every night. These fucking nightmares. I can't sleep. They're awful. I wake up screaming like someone is trying to kill me."

The man studied my face, trying to determine if I was lying, if I was looking for some quick drugs. Like I would come to the La Push clinic for that. How stupid did I look?

I did look tired though. Guarding the girl's house all night on top of running patrols was exhausting. I had already decided I was going to have to drop out of school just to have time to sleep. Sam didn't approve but once he understood that I wasn't going to leave her unprotected for even a second at night, and that I wasn't going to trust anyone else to stand guard outside her house all night right now either, he stopped his whining. He did make me promise to get my GED by the end of the school year though. What a waste. It wasn't like I was going to have the opportunity to use the damn thing.

"These nightmares, are they about anything in particular?"

I shrugged and tried not to grimace at the lingering soreness in my collarbone. Sam had snapped it the night before when we'd been beating the shit out of each other, trying to atone for the pain we'd caused our imprints. Instead of focusing on the lingering pain throughout my body I focused on imagining what could possibly be haunting Bella. "Just monsters. Things trying to get me. The usual. They're fucking nightmares. What do you think they are? Tea parties and unicorns?"

He gave me a stern look. "The walls are thin, Young Man, and I have younger patients who might be able to hear you. Please watch your language."

"Whatever. Is there anything I can do? I'm not looking for drugs. Hell, I'll even go for that yoga shit. Whatever it takes, I'll do it."

The man peered up from the chart with a small smirk. "That won't be necessary. You look like a very fit young man. Are your nights any better on the days you've exercised? Daily exercise has been known to relieve this type of problem. Talking over the underlying stress with a professional also helps."

I snorted. Bella could not talk to a shrink about her dreams. They had to be related to the leech trying to get to her, or all the leeches who'd fucked her over in the past. She'd wind up in a mental institute the second she opened her mouth.

The man patted me on the shoulder. "Just think about it. I know it's not easy to talk over your problems with a stranger, but it does help. I want you to come back in a month if the exercise doesn't help. We'll run some tests and see if there isn't something else causing this."

I hopped off the table. "Sure thing, Doc."

I made my way through the waiting room. I had to suppress the urge to growl as two girls roughly my age started whispering comments about how they'd like to take me home. That shit was getting old. Back before I met Bella I enjoyed all the attention I could get, and I took full advantage. But it was just irritating that I still had to deal with that shit.

At least I could go sleep for a couple hours until Bella's school let out. As soon as we had realized just how bad off we both were after our little impromptu 'therapy' session the night before, Sam had called in Jake to cover my patrol. I hadn't made any attempt to hide just how much I appreciated his choice in substitute.

With Embry covering the school, I knew I could afford to rest in my own bed until Bella was on her way home. Embry I could trust. He wouldn't make any moves on the girl. He respected the imprint. Unlike a certain other pack brother.

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"Smells good, Bells. What is that?"

"Chicken and Dumplings," I answered hesitantly.

It was stupid to be so embarrassed though. Charlie had no reason to ridicule my dinner choice.

He leaned against the counter, peering into the pot. "That's a new one."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah." I glanced out the window. The drizzle had finally let up. "With the rain, I just thought it would be nice. Something hearty and warm."

Charlie clapped me on the shoulder. "Sounds great. How much longer till it's done?"

"Any second now."

Really I was just keeping it warm. I had been waiting for Charlie to get home. I ignored the prick of conscience that reminded me about Paul. He was expecting a hot dinner too. But then, he had a home and he could always eat there. Not that he would. I had no doubt he would show up at some point, looking for food. Since Charlie had arrived at home later than usual, it probably wouldn't be very long before Paul showed up.

"And you're not going to put up a fight about eating, right?" Charlie prodded.

I blushed, keeping my eyes down as I shook my head. "I'm sorry."

He squeezed my shoulder. "I'm the one who's sorry. I knew you weren't eating much, but I didn't want to believe how bad it had gotten."

I opened my mouth to argue that he wasn't the one at fault but a knock at the door interrupted me. Even though I was expecting it, the noise startled me enough to elicit enough of a jump from me to dislodge Charlie's hand. He sent me a look. "We expecting company again?"

He glanced down at the pot once more. The pot was filled with at least twice as much as the two of us would ever eat.

"I'll get it," I whispered, moving the pot off the low heat.

I rushed away from him before he could comment.

Paul pushed past me, heading straight for the kitchen. "Damn, I'm starving."

I shut the door slowly. Not that I _wanted_ Paul's attention, but shouldn't he have at least greeted me? I frowned as I shook my head. No. That was the stupid bond trying to insinuate itself into my head. I would not fall victim to that. He could ignore me all he wanted.

Charlie and Paul were busy sizing each other up when I entered the kitchen. I sidestepped their testosterone display and moved to the stove. Paul had impeccable timing, which gave me the creepy suspicion that he had been out there for awhile, waiting for dinner to be ready before he announced his presence.

Dinner was tense, again. Paul was not Charlie's favorite person. I think he would have preferred that _he_ come back rather than have Paul sitting there. The thought sent a sharp shot of pain through the center of my chest. I slowly lowered my fork and took a long drink of water, trying to steady myself. I could not break down in front of either of the two males at the table. Charlie would threaten to send me to live with Renee again. Paul would…well, I didn't know what he would do. But I knew it wouldn't be pretty.

Once Paul had finished his third helping, he leaned back to look at me. "You got any running shoes?"

I sent a confused glance toward Charlie. "Um, I think so."

"Good. Put 'em on."

Charlie leaned forward. "Boy, I told you once. You can't talk to my daughter like that. You need to get out of my house."

Paul ignored him, keeping his eyes trained on me. "Exercise can prevent nightmares. We're gonna start nightly runs."

Charlie opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked like he was caught between ripping into Paul and thanking him. His eyes swiveled to mine. I stared at my father, silently seeking his advice. I wanted the nightmares to end, for my sake but more importantly, for Charlie's. Oh, how I desperately wanted them to end. I could see the toll it was taking on him, to see me suffering. But, on the other hand, once they were gone, I would lose my last link to _them._

Charlie leaned back, twirling his beer thoughtfully. "Suppose it wouldn't hurt to try."

Suddenly, Charlie pushed himself away from the table. "I'll take care of the dinner mess, Bells. You go get changed for your run."

I climbed the stairs in a daze. Once again with only a terse sentence or two Paul had swayed Charlie to his side. And Charlie hated him. How did he _do_ that? Sometimes I could argue with the man for days and he wouldn't give in even when my request was perfectly reasonable.

When I descended the stairs in my yoga pants, T-shirt and sneakers Paul was nowhere to be seen. I wanted to be relieved, to hope that maybe Sam had needed him on the reservation. But I could feel him lurking close by. Charlie glanced up from the TV and motioned toward the door with his beer.

I found Paul leaning against the stair rail, staring out into the street. He didn't say anything when I walked outside. He didn't acknowledge that he knew I was there at all. But as soon as my foot hit the first step of the stairs he straightened and headed for the road.

I had expected the jog to be filled with more of Paul's caustic remarks. But he was oddly silent. Within two minutes my shoulders were burning and I felt like someone was stabbing me in the side. The pain in the side was from lack of exercise. The shoulder pain was pure stress. Stress from being around Paul, waiting for him to lash out.

I didn't know what he would do next. He was angry one second and relaxed the next. He seemed to view me as his personal possession and his leader didn't seem to be doing much to change that viewpoint. Would the time come when Paul determined that I wasn't safe unless I was with him on the reservation at all times? Would he force me to stay there against my will? Would Sam allow him to do that?

Thankfully Paul didn't push me too far. He turned us around at the half-mile mark. Even at that short distance I was gasping for air. I was ridiculously out of shape. He remained silent beside me, breathing with noticeable ease. But then, he ran for miles every day, even if it was in wolf form. I frowned at the thought. Did that exercise apply to his human form? My gaze slid over to examine his hulking body from the corner of my eyes.

My feet somehow tangled up in each other. I pitched forward. A warm arm wrapped around my body before I was even half-way down. He set me up again.

"Watch the road, Swan." His voice sounded oddly strained.

Then he set off again, expecting me to follow.

Since I didn't really want to stand there in the road by myself, I did.

And just like that, Paul and I had a nightly routine.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I just wanted to say again, that the reviewers on this story are awesome. I will try my best to respond to all of you that have your PM option enabled. If I miss someone, I apologize. And if my browser goes spastic and sends it to you twice, lucky you!<strong>

**If you have any observations, ideas, etc, feel free to throw 'em out there. I use that kind of stuff all the time to sharpen my storyline. You guys catch stuff that I miss, or remind me of things I meant to deepen and forgot. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: _Still_ not mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"So, you and Geronimo, I don't like it."

I lowered my sandwich to rest on the plastic bag. "Excuse me?"

Had Mike just said what I thought he said? Not only was it racist, it was also none of his business.

He nodded. "He's just not right for you."

"Oh? And what isn't right about him, Mike?"

I leaned closer, daring him to go on. Jessica frowned. She wasn't comfortable with this topic at all. She didn't like Mike showing this much interest in my relationships and she certainly didn't like our proximity.

"Well…" Mike stalled, looking around the table for support. "He's too old for one."

I laughed. "Paul's younger than me."

"He's a jerk! And he's always fighting."

I leaned back slightly. I didn't really have a counterpoint to that argument. Paul _was _a jerk. Especially when it came to me.

Sensing eminent victory, Mike pressed the point. "And he's always in trouble. I think I saw your father arresting him once."

"He hasn't been in trouble in more than a year. And weren't you busted for drinking at that party two weeks ago?"

"That was all circumstantial evidence!" He protested. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just because I was there doesn't mean I drank anything. I've been down at First Beach when they've had their bon fires. I've seen the way those guys throw back the booze. He's still drinking."

I shook my head, picking my sandwich back up. "You're just jealous."

Jessica scooted closer to Mike's side, grabbed his arm and glared at me. "Why would he be jealous? He has a girlfriend."

Too late, I remembered that Mike had finally gotten around to asking Jessica out. We all knew she was the consolation prize, but we all pretended that he really wanted to be with her. It was a ridiculous dance of denial and self-deception. But it made the school day bearable. Just a few more months though. Then I would graduate and I would never have to talk to either of them again. Assuming I quit my job at the Newton's store.

Shaking my head, I wrapped my mostly uneaten sandwich in the plastic I'd brought it in and stood. "I'll see you later."

I tossed the remnants of my lunch in the trash as I walked out of the cafeteria. That whole conversation had killed what little appetite I had.

"You're right you know. He is jealous," Angela stated softly from beside me.

I hadn't even heard her get up and follow me.

I nodded. "He just won't accept that I don't like him like that."

"Mike's kind of…persistent," she agreed.

I grinned at her.

Her face lit up at the expression. "Hey, do you want to do something tonight?"

"Well…" I hesitated. "I kind of have plans with Paul."

What would he do if I broke our nightly dinner and running date? He only missed it when he was on patrol, and that was usually only once a week. He'd missed the night before, which meant he'd had the evening to midnight shift. And he always had the next day to himself after running that shift, no patrols whatsoever. He would not appreciate me changing plans on him. Me not being available. I had never been unavailable when he was not patrolling. Not in the three weeks since he had imprinted on me.

My phone rang, surprising me. No one ever called me, except Renee, and even she knew not to call during school hours. Jacob used to call me, but he stopped once Paul came into my life.

I glanced at the caller ID and was shocked to see that it was Paul calling me. Like I had summoned him with my thoughts.

"It's that quiet, nice girl asking you to hang out, right?" He started right into the conversation.

"Yes," I replied, unsure where he was going with this. I shot a glance toward Angela.

She was watching me with a curious expression.

Then my eyes raced to the glass doors at the end of the hall as I realized what was going on. Exactly how close was Paul? Had he heard the conversation from the cafeteria? Or was he just eavesdropping on this one?

"Yeah, I like her. You need more friends like her. Do something with her tonight."

I frowned. "Aren't you off…work…tonight?"

I could practically hear him shrugging over the line. "I'll figure something out. Probably just sleep. Call me when you get home and we'll go for our run."

Then I heard the distinctive click of him hanging up on me.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and turned to Angela. "I guess I'm free tonight."

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

My father stopped in his tracks when he saw me standing in the kitchen.

I watched him as he slowly shut the front door behind himself. "Paul, hey. I, uh…I thought you'd be out again tonight."

I shrugged, studying his movements. He was nervous. Anxious.

Interesting.

I shoved the sandwich into my mouth.

The man frowned at me. "Where have you been? You can't be patrolling _every_ night. Sam assured me he would stagger the schedule, have you all taking turns."

I chased the bite with a swallow of cold coke straight from the can, shrugging again. "I was out."

My father's eyes hardened. "What the hell does that mean?"

I grinned at him. "What the hell does it mean when you say it?"

His mouth opened, then closed. Finally, he spoke with an incredulous tone. "You're using your new position as Tribal _protector_ to find easy girls and get laid?"

The wolf bristled at the unintended slight to Bella. Logically I knew he hadn't meant any disrespect to my imprint, but the implication was there, intentional or not.

I lowered the can of soda slowly to the table, narrowing my eyes. "She's not like that."

He crossed his arms, by all appearances unfazed by the suddenly deep timbre of my voice. "Who isn't like that? Are you saying you've been with the same girl every night for three weeks?"

Now disbelief colored his words. My back stiffened. "What? That's impossible?"

He walked over to the fridge to grab a beer. "Just never thought I'd see the day. Is this serious?"

I looked away as he turned back to meet my eyes. Shrugging I deliberated how much detail to give him. He wouldn't understand the imprint, since he couldn't see into my head like the others. He wasn't going to accept that his teenage son had found his soul mate. The wolf whole thing had been hard enough for him to grasp and that had happened right in front of him.

"What's her name?".

That was his slightly annoyed, just tell me already tone. I must have let something slip into my facial expression. Dammit. He knew I was hiding something.

"Bella."

"Pretty name." He eyed me speculatively.

I nodded, not offering any more information.

"So, her parents don't mind you staying with her?"

I shrugged again. "Hasn't been a problem so far."

Not an entirely forthright answer to the question he'd asked. Her father didn't know I was there every night. But then, neither did she.

"You using protection?"

My father had held the safe sex talk with me early and often. He even started buying me condoms as soon as I began dating, said he didn't want a girl showing up on the porch in ten years to introduce him to his illegitimate grandchild.

But that didn't mean I appreciated him butting into private details of my relationship with Bella. I growled at him.

He rolled his eyes. "If you're old enough to do it you're old enough to have a mature conversation about it without throwing a tantrum like a two year old. Just keep it wrapped."

I chewed angrily on my sandwich. He needed to mind his own business. As if I was going to do _anything_ to jeopardize her health or future. I knew how to protect Bella. I sure as hell didn't need my father offering sage advice.

After a long tense moment he spoke again. "I saw the GED packet in the mail. She have anything to do with that?"

Fuck. I'd forgotten all about that coming in the mail. I took another long drink, stalling for time as I considered how to spin it.

"Can't keep up with the school work. Not with patrols. Missing too much school too. I was gonna fail the year anyway. Might as well get it over with."

He nodded. "How does Bella feel about that?"

"She doesn't know."

He raised his eyebrows. "If this is serious with her, don't you think she should be told?"

I scowled at him. "Time hasn't been right."

He raised his hands defensively.

He let me finish my sandwich in peace. I drank the rest of my soda, depositing the can in the recycling bin. Then I moved over to the dryer to pull my clean clothes out. My father followed me.

"How long you plan on being here tonight?"

"Why?" I asked suspiciously as I walked into my room.

He gave me a sheepish grin. "I kind of have company heading over. She'll be here in half an hour."

I dropped the clothes on my bed, my mind racing over his expression. "Shit. You're kicking me out for the rest of the night so you can get laid."

His shoulders moved slightly in concert with his lips. "Sorry."

He didn't sound sorry at all.

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"Thanks for doing this with me." It was the third time Angela had thanked me since we'd walked into the salon. I had the feeling the shy girl hadn't wanted to go alone, and she hadn't wanted to ask Jessica either.

"Thanks for asking me," I forced the smile to my face.

What I really wanted to do was scream at the woman behind me to get her hands out of my hair. And then scrub the Spackle from my face. Angela had been so desperate for company because she had an appointment with a salon to try out new looks for prom. She was loving the guinea pig treatment. She just hadn't wanted to walk in alone. I would have preferred water boarding.

"Oh, that color looks great on you."

I tried to consider the gloss, but my eyes were repeatedly drawn to the dark shadow on my eyes. I couldn't look away. It was horrendous.

The stylist smiled at me in the mirror, so proud of herself. "It's very striking isn't it?"

Indeed, I looked just like I'd been struck. In both eyes.

But I had been trained too well. I had to smile in response. "Yes, it is."

"You have great hair. It's so easy to fix."

I sure thought so. It took no time at all to throw it into a ponytail.

"You're really very lucky. A lot of women can't get their hair to hold a curl."

She just would not shut up about my hair.

"And it's so shiny. It's very healthy."

I made a little humming noise in my throat, to let her know I was still conscious. It was the most effort I could put into the conversation at that point. I mean, it was hair. What was I supposed to say? I washed it. That was the extent of my hair-care expertise.

"So, what color is your dress?"

"Oh, I'm not going to prom."

Angela sent me a surprised look. "You're not bringing Paul?"

How could she be surprised? "No. Why would I?"

She seemed confused. "Well, it's the prom…And he's your-"

"Friend. He's my friend," I rushed to correct her before she could mislabel him.

She gave me a disbelieving look. "Okay. Your friend who drives you to school most days, even though he lives in a different town, and goes to a different school?"

I shrugged.

"He's there to pick you up almost every day too. Then doesn't he go back to your house? I know I've seen you two running in the evenings. So is that before or after you feed him dinner?" Her tone was teasing, but in a friendly way.

I blushed, looking away from her reflection in the mirror.

Angela and the stylist both giggled.

"Sounds _very_ friendly," my torture artist for the evening commented.

I snorted. If they only knew Paul. He was never friendly. For crying out loud, I was supposed to be his soul mate and he wasn't even nice to _me._

"We could all go together. The four of us," Angela offered. "If Paul was nervous about not knowing anyone. We could even all go out together before, so he wouldn't be there with strangers."

That time the smile I sent her was genuine. Angela really was the nicest person I had ever met. "I might take you up on the get together, but I don't think we'll be going to prom."

"That's a shame." My stylist commented. "Have you seen how fantastic your hair looks in an upsweep?"

* * *

><p>I froze when I walked in the door. Charlie and Paul were sitting in the living room, polishing off the second box of delivery pizza while watching sports on TV. They both glanced up at me when I shut the door behind myself.<p>

Charlie's expression remained neutral as he took in my appearance. "Have a fun time, Bells?"

Did it look like I had fun? I felt like my face had been plastered, textured, and covered in interior paint.

I smiled as warmly as I could manage. "Angela's a nice girl."

"I just have to put this in the fridge, then I'll change for our run," I told Paul, holding up my Styrofoam box of left-overs from my dinner out. I didn't have the guts to meet his eyes though. I couldn't handle the thought of his reaction to my ridiculous appearance.

He pushed himself off the couch to follow me into the kitchen. Nerves ate across my stomach as I made my way to the fridge to store my chicken. What did he think about my makeover? The stylist had seemed very pleased and even Angela said that I looked very pretty. I didn't feel like myself though.

He was inches from me when I turned around to head for my room.

"You gonna wash that shit off when you change?"

I didn't even _like_ the makeover, but still, his disapproving tone sent a spike of pain through me. "You don't like it?"

Argh! I had _not_ intended that little bit of whine to leak through in my voice. I hadn't even intended to reply.

His eyes narrowed. "It's not you."

He was right of course. I felt like a clown. I just couldn't admit it to him. "I'll be down in a minute."

I took more than a minute though. It took at least two minutes just to find the bottle of makeup remover that Alice had bought me. Then another couple minutes of scrubbing at my face to get as much of the caked stuff to come off as I could manage. I still had the smallest faint black ring around my eyelids from the eyeliner. That stuff was stubborn. I threw my painstakingly curled hair into a haphazard ponytail, changed into my running clothes, and headed downstairs.

Our run was silent, like always. Paul and I didn't talk a lot. Paul didn't like the noise. I tended toward silence also, so the runs were kind of nice. I never would have seen myself as a runner. But the repetitive motion, the steady rhythm of our feet and breathing, it all made for a very conducive backdrop for organizing one's thoughts. The day's troubles seemed to take care of themselves during the runs. My thoughts fell into some kind of order as the miles passed beneath my feet. Paul had set up the regime as a cure for the nightmares. And they had diminished somewhat. But even if the running didn't completely vanquish them, I didn't think I would give it up.

Unless we had kids.

That thought sent me stumbling over my own two feet. Holy crow. I hadn't even thought about him like that before. Why was I now? Why hadn't I earlier? The word mates did imply a certain amount of, well, mating.

His heated fingers wrapped around my arms, pulling me up from my stumbling, windmill-armed attempt at a recovery. He set me upright, holding on for a second to give me a chance to steady myself. As soon as he released me, I tried to set off again. Only, I didn't make it very far. Pain shot up my right ankle.

I stumbled again. Gritting my teeth, I focused on ignoring the pain. It was just a sprained ankle. I'd had enough in my life to know when I was hurt badly enough to cause a fuss. This was not fuss-worthy. I could finish the run and then ice the ankle for the rest of the evening. After a couple days it would be fine.

With a growl, Paul scooped me up. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Running."

"You're hurt."

And? I met his eyes and immediately shrank back, as far as I could get while still in his arms anyway. He was nearing the top of his anger meter. "It's just a twisted ankle. It's no big deal."

"You aren't running on a sprained ankle, Bella."

"Fine. I'll walk."

"Like hell."

He turned around and started walking back toward Charlie's house. I crossed my arms. He was holding me bridal style and I wasn't the least bit comfortable with it.

"Can you at least hold me differently? So I don't feel like a toddler being carried to bed?"

He grunted but paused. Finally, he set me down. "Climb on my back."

A spasm of pain shot through me, the least of which was physical. But I ignored it the best I could. _He_ had carried me like that. But this would be different. This wouldn't be a run through the woods. This was a calm, sedate walk down a small town street. On a giant's back.

I climbed up and held on, pushing aside all of the painful memories that came swarming.

When we arrived home Charlie was dozing in his recliner, half-empty beer on the table beside him. So Paul carried me up to my room. Then he retrieved an ice pack for me. I would have felt better having a shower after the run, but I knew he would insist on staying until I was settled, and I still didn't feel comfortable in my pajamas in front of him. Besides, I wasn't positive he'd let me shower by myself with my injury.

Paul paused at my bedroom door on his way out of my room. "About earlier…your hair looks nice in curls. And whatever made your lips all shiny? That looked nice too."

* * *

><p>I babied my ankle on the trip down the stairs, otherwise I'd be rolling down. It was still swollen to double the size of the left. Unfortunately, I'd left my crutches in Phoenix, and the ones I'd gotten from my broken leg the year before had been loaners. I'd have to talk to Charlie about stopping by a pharmacy and getting a permanent pair for me. I would certainly give them enough use. Especially now that I was running. This wouldn't be the last time I sprained my ankle.<p>

"You okay there, Sport?"

I waited until I cleared the last step to glance up. No reason to take any risks. Charlie was watching me from the kitchen doorway, a frown on his face.

"Yeah, just a sprained ankle."

"Looks painful."

"It's a little tender, but I'm fine." I hobbled around him, in search of caffeine and sustenance. "Although I could use some crutches."

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

I waved his words off. "I've had sprains much worse than this. In a couple days it'll be fine. I'll stop by the drug store and buy a wrap for it."

He looked at me doubtfully, but didn't argue any further.

Paul had mentioned something about the overnight shift again so I was able to eat most of my breakfast in peace. But he walked into the kitchen before I could finish, opening the back door and entering like he owned the house. Ignoring Charlie, who was used to Paul just walking in by now, he came right up to me.

Sending me a dirty look, Paul yanked out the chair next to me. Then he bent down, grabbed my pajama-clad leg and pulled it up, gently laying my foot to rest on the seat. Without a word he moved over to the freezer, opened it up and grabbed a handful of ice, which he dropped into a dishtowel a second later. The dishtowel was then placed on my swollen ankle.

"Coffee?" Charlie offered as Paul took the seat on the other side of me. The offer shocked me. Charlie and Paul had a shaky truce, but they were not necessarily friendly toward each other.

Paul shook his head. "How's it feel?"

I shrugged. "Fine."

"It's hurtin' her." My father declared a second later.

I glared at Charlie for ratting me out.

"I'm taking her to the clinic on the rez as soon as she's dressed," Paul announced.

"Excuse me?" He had no right to decide these things for me. I was eighteen years old. A legal adult. He couldn't make me go to the doctor.

Charlie nodded. "I'll call the school. Let them know she'll be absent."

Wait, what?

"I'll be fine in a day or two. There's no reason for me to miss school."

Both of them stared me down. Charlie looked impassive but Paul was angry. Like always.

"You're hurt. You're going to the doctor."

"That really isn't necessary. It's just a sprained ankle! I've had dozens."

"Stop being such a fucking martyr, Bella."

Charlie grunted with a nod. What had the world come to when Charlie and Paul were joining forces against me?

"Fine. I'll go."

Paul snorted. "Didn't ever have a choice."

I hated him.

* * *

><p>The doctor at the reservation clinic wrapped my ankle and issued me a set of crutches. At least I got my crutches out of the deal. The doctor tried to give me something for the pain but I refused. I only relented when he came back with regular Tylenol. I needed a clear head when dealing with Paul. Our situation was hard enough to understand when my mind wasn't foggy.<p>

Instead of taking me home, Paul turned, heading further into La Push. "Where are you taking me?"

"Sam's."

"Why?"

"It's lunch time. I'm hungry."

"We could always stop somewhere and get something to eat."

He shook his head. "Not like Emily makes it."

I started to protest then shut my mouth. Actually, this could be the perfect opportunity. I needed to speak to Sam anyway. Paul was trying to work himself too far into my life. Sam said that I was the one in control. That Paul had to be whatever I wanted. Well, I didn't want him to be my Siamese twin. He had to back off. I knew better than to expect him to back off at my urging though.

Paul wouldn't let me use the crutches. Instead he carried me. I only endured it because I had hope that his overbearing behavior would be coming to a swift end.

It seemed that Emily always had a large meal ready and waiting, or nearly to that point. She was always preparing something in the kitchen. Was that the future I was supposed to be looking forward to? I did enjoy cooking but wasn't that a bit ridiculous? I sure didn't want to spend every moment of every day in the kitchen.

Huh.

If I had stayed with _him_, if I had followed the path I had been dead-set on, I would never have had any reason to cook. Vampires didn't eat, at least not human food. All of my cooking skills would have been wasted. I never again would have felt that simple joy of seeing my efforts come together in a well-prepared and perfectly timed meal.

Emily was moving briskly through her kitchen, efficiently preparing whatever meal she had in the works for her small army. Paul set me in a chair and immediately went to sniff the pots on the stove. Emily smacked him with a wooden spoon, shooing him away from the food.

"Need any help?" I hated just sitting there. I felt vaguely guilty watching her rush around her kitchen.

Paul turned to me with a glare. "Keep your ass in that chair, Woman."

Emily sent him a little grin. "Paul, be nice."

"Ha, he doesn't know how." I muttered.

Emily's grin melted away.

Sam walked in the backdoor, moving straight for Emily. It was like he didn't even see that there were two others in the room. He had to know we were here, with the wolf senses and all. But he just didn't _care._

When he finally detached himself from Emily, I straightened in my chair. "Just the man I wanted to see."

Paul sent me a look before glaring at Sam. Now _that_ was ridiculous. He could not be jealous of Sam.

Sam took a seat across from me, darting his eyes to Paul and then back to me. "Yes? How have things been with you and Paul? How's the imprint going?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about."

Paul shifted in his seat.

I nervously balled my hands together in my lap, wondering how fast Paul would react. He wouldn't take this well.

"Paul has to back off. He's too…too much. He's always telling me what to do. He's always _there._"

Paul growled.

Sam signed. "Paul, you're supposed to be giving her space, letting her adjust to this."

"No," he snarled. "I'm doing exactly what I should be doing."

"Paul," Sam warned. "Don't make me give you a command."

Paul leaned forward. "What, you think I'm just some fucking stalker?"

Sam's eyes darted to mine, his face the picture of uncomfortable. "Well…"

Paul shook his head. "Thanks for the trust, Asshole."

"Maybe you can tone it down a bit?" Sam asked, darting a glance toward me. "Try being just a touch nicer?"

He snorted. "She's had nicer. Jake tried that sunshine and roses shit for weeks. If that's what it took then I wouldn't be the one in this chair."

I looked between them, completely confused. Sam wouldn't meet my eyes now. "Look, I just need some space. I don't need an overprotective Paul shoving commands down my throat all the time."

Sam finally raised his eyes. "Apparently, that's exactly what you need."

I jerked back away from him like he'd slapped me. "Excuse me?"

"The imprint bond makes the wolf exactly what the mate needs. He'll behave however you need him to behave. So, if he's being an overprotective asshole, then that must be what you need."

Paul smirked at me.

A soft feminine scent alerted me to a presence beside me just before Emily slid a plate of food in front of me. She smiled down at me, patting my shoulder gently. "Eat, you'll feel better."

That was probably her answer for everything. But to be fair, she was used to dealing with the troubles of a young pack of shifters. Just throw a basket of muffins at them and they'd cheer up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: Same shit, not mine. **

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Embry's car pulled away, heading toward the school. I was dead on my feet but I was torn between heading inside for a quick nap and turning back toward Forks. Sam had promised to keep an eye on Bella for me while she was in school that day, until Jared's patrol ended and he could take over for an hour or two. Give me a chance to rest. They knew I hadn't slept in a day and a half. Between my patrols and watching over Bella, making sure that bitch redhead didn't get to her, I wasn't sleeping enough.

I stood in my front yard, staring down the road toward Forks, trying to make up my mind. The wolf was leaning her direction. My fuzzy sleep-deprived mind was crawling toward the bed already. My ears had checked out already or they would have heard him walking up behind me.

"Pining for your hopeless love?"

I turned, a growl building in my throat. Jacob Fucking Black. The asshole was glaring at me. Like I had stolen the love of his life intentionally. Like there had been anything to steal. Right. The kid was delusional.

"You're confused. You're the hopeless one."

His lips curled back in an ugly smirk. "Wait until she hears you're a high school drop out. You think she wants to be tied to a loser all her life? You're pathetic."

I took a step forward, clenching my fists. "Yeah? I've got more of a shot than you ever had. If she had ever been interested in you, you woulda been hitting that months ago. You were never more than a friend, a brother, to her."

Jake began to shake. I grinned at him. "Look at the big bad wolf. Losing his shit over a few little words."

"How the hell did a bastard like you get someone as wonderful as Bella? You don't deserve her. She's perfect. She should be with someone like me."

Heat flashed through my body. I felt my blood pumping faster. "You don't lay a fucking finger on Bella. She's mine."

"Yeah, we all heard you laying claim to her. What we didn't hear was Bella agreeing to be yours. What does she say about this? Has she ever accepted you? Has she ever told you, or anyone that she's going to let you _claim_ her? She could walk away and you couldn't do anything about it. She could still choose me," he stated with a cocky grin.

I lost it. I barely had the presence of mind to shove the wolf aside and attack with a fist. I wanted to tear his fucking throat out with my teeth . I settled for tackling him. We went down hard. Jake was used to scuffling with the pack members. We played hard. But we'd never really tried to hurt each other seriously. Now I wanted the bastard dead. He was trying to steal my mate.

Jake tried to defend himself. He just wasn't expecting such a fierce attack. He caught me a few times but within half a minute I had him pinned. Part of me was aware that I should release him, that I should stop. But I couldn't. The wolf had taken over to the maximum extent possible in my human form and he wanted the threat to his mate to be eliminated.

The squeal of brakes and a loud horn startled me. I leaned back onto my heels, still straddling Jake's battered form. Dazed, I looked around. We'd wound up in the middle of the road somehow. A truck was a few feet away. Thankfully the day wasn't too cloudy; the visibility was good. We would probably have healed from being run over but that would have been one hell of a tough explanation.

Harry Clearwater jumped out of his truck. He stormed over to us. Reaching down he grabbed us both by the shirt. Seemingly effortlessly he dragged us to our feet. Jake swayed as soon as Harry released him. Swearing under his breath Harry shoved Jake against the truck for support.

"What the hell do you boys think you're doing fighting in the middle of the damn street? You're supposed to be examples to this tribe. You're our Protectors! You do not get into fist fights like common trash!"

Jake and I glared at each other, neither willing to be the first to speak. Harry turned to Jake. "Where's Sam?"

He shook his head.

"He's in Forks, patrolling the high school," I muttered.

Harry turned to me with a frown. Jake looked down at his feet.

"What's he doing there? What's so important in Forks?"

"He's keeping an eye on Bella Swan. There's a vampire after her," I growled.

Harry studied my face. Then he glanced back at Jake. His shoulders slumped. Raising a hand he rubbed his face wearily. "I'm too old for this shit. You're both going to Sam's and you're going to wait there for him to show up. Then you're going to explain to him exactly how stupid you were acting."

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"Come on."

I stared at Paul warily. "Where are we going?"

"The rez. I just got off shift and I'm exhausted. I haven't slept in a couple days. If we're on the rez at least I know there are a few wolves between you and the leech trying to get to you."

I shuddered at the memory of Victoria. I did a fairly good job with the selective amnesia, but then Paul always forced her back into my mind.

But spending the whole day in La Push? I'd barely finished breakfast. "I have homework though."

Paul shrugged. "Bring it along."

"Charlie will wonder where I am."

"Write a fucking note, Bella. We're leaving."

Fine. Clenching my teeth, I shoved everything into my backpack and wrote the note, leaving it on the handle of the fridge where Charlie would be sure to see it. That was the first place he went when he got home.

As always, Paul drove. For some reason, I was expecting him to take us to Sam's house. That's the only place we had been together in La Push. So I was surprised when the engine cut off and I raised my head to see a small house I didn't recognize.

"Where are we?"

"My place."

"Oh."

I followed Paul to the house, limping only slightly. My ankle was mostly healed, giving me only mild twinges of pain. It would be easy to re-twist it though, so I mounted the porch steps carefully.

"I'm taking a shower," he announced as soon as he led me into the living room.

I panicked a little. "What about your Mom? Isn't she going to think it's strange that I'm here?"

I looked around for a parent or sibling, anyone else occupying the house.

He shrugged as he moved down the hall. "She lives in Tacoma. We got a couple hours till Dad gets off work."

That eased my tension a little. But only slightly. The threat of dealing with a parent may have been delayed but I did still have to put up with Paul. I had a few moments to myself though while he was showering. I looked around the room in curiosity. It was tidy. I don't know why, but I had expected a mess. Maybe Paul's room was a pit. It was ridiculous, but I wanted his room to be completely trashed. Frowning, I folded myself into the corner of the couch.

Why did I want him to be a slob? Was it because I wanted him to be a normal teenage boy at just one thing? He spent half his time running around as a wolf. The rest of his time was spent at my side. Did he even have the time to trash his room? Or maybe I just wanted him to have a fault. Even my father, who initially hated the boy, was starting to like him. They could talk about basketball for hours lately. Charlie was beginning to react to Paul's assertions about what was best for my welfare as if they were gospel. He made me go to the clinic because Paul said I needed to. He made me set a routine bedtime because Paul said it might help me sleep better. If Paul said becoming a vegetarian would help with the nightmares, Charlie would probably throw out all the meat in the house.

Deciding that I would rather be busy when he returned to the room, I pulled my bag over and dug out my first text book. Eventually Paul joined me with wet hair and the clean scent of soap. He plopped onto the couch and immediately stretched out, shoving his legs up under my book.

"Don't forget to eat when you get hungry. There's plenty of food in the kitchen."

"Excuse me! Get your feet off of me."

"Fine."

He pulled his feet away. Before I could relax he had rearranged himself, placing his head in my lap. That left me with a text book hovering above his face. He grabbed it, laying it to rest on his chest.

"There you go."

He wriggled around for a second with his eyes closed. "You need to eat a fucking cheeseburger. Some fried food. Dessert. Something. You make a bony pillow."

Huffing, I shoved his head off my lap and slid off the couch. If he was going to be like that he could have the whole thing. I'd study on the ground.

Paul burst into a loud laugh. "So sensitive."

Ignoring him, I turned my attention to my book. Soon, his breathing evened out. Glancing over, I saw that his was mouth open, slack. Thank goodness. Peace and quiet.

I worked in silence for hours. Eventually I tired of leaning against the couch, so I stretched out beside it, my head at the same end as Paul's. Working steadily, I finished all of my basic homework for the weekend, leaving me only with a paper I had to write. I'd chosen Wuthering Heights as the topic. It was a favorite of mine, and I'd been reading it a lot over the past few months.

As I contemplated the outline for the paper though, unease grew in my chest. Catherine and Heathcliff had poisoned each other. Their love was unhealthy and dangerous to any foolish enough to associate with them. Frowning down at the page, I couldn't help but see the similarities between their relationship and my own with _him. _ My goodness, I couldn't even think his name. That was not good.

I stared down at the blank page before me, my mind whirling. I was Heathcliff, speaking to the ghost of _his_ memory. I had been going slowly insane, the way I was seeking out those dangerous adventures. Even with Jake's help, I had kept at it. Riding those stupid motorcycles, begging him to take me cliff diving, all in an attempt to hear _his_ voice just one more time. He hadn't even wanted me anymore, and I was all but killing myself to get closer to him.

A noise further away in the room startled me. Pushing myself up on my knees, I glanced around to see a middle-aged Paul clone walking in the door. He paused in the act of closing the door as his eyes landed on me. Then he saw Paul asleep on the couch and he grinned.

"You must be Bella." He spoke in a normal voice, making no effort to lower his volume for his sleeping son.

I glanced his son's way, nodding. He was still sleeping hard. He had either been really tired or he was a heavy sleeper.

"Paul's told me a lot about you."

I turned back to him in surprise. "He has?"

The man chuckled quietly, a pleasant sound. "Of course. I'm going to make myself a sandwich. You want anything?"

"Um, sure." I pushed myself to my feet. Paul had ordered me to eat. If I didn't make some effort he'd be angry. His dad seemed like a nice person. It would be a shame to anger the volatile boy in front of him.

We assembled our sandwiches quickly and quietly. My eyes kept darting nervously between Paul and his father. What on earth was I supposed to say to the man? Paul was not supposed to be passed out on the couch when I met his father. I had no idea what this man knew about me or the whole wolf business. I didn't know what subjects were safe. So I was stuck playing a mute. It was quite possibly the most awkward parent meeting I had ever had.

"That boy, has he been ignoring you all day?"

"Oh, it's okay. I've still got a paper to write before Monday. I haven't even started on it. And he hasn't really slept in a couple days."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

I swallowed. "Well…that's what he said anyway."

He laughed again. "Don't worry, Bella. I know he's been sleeping at your place."

My cheeks heated up as he met my eyes. Oh my. He thought we were…he thought Paul had…with me…Oh my goodness. _Now_ this was the most awkward parent meeting I'd ever had.

Wait. My eyes darted to the figure stretched out across the couch. That meant Paul was at my house all night, frequently if not every time he didn't have patrol, from what his father was saying. What was he doing? Why was he there? And where exactly was he? Was he outside that whole time? Or was he somewhere else?

His comments about my room smelling came to mind.

The man reached up into a cabinet and pulled out a glass, handing it to me. "Water or milk?"

"Water's fine."

"You need the milk," Paul grumbled, sitting up on the couch, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

The man standing a few feet from me slowly turned, eyeing me suspiciously. "And why's that?"

"She doesn't eat right. She needs the vitamins and shit in the milk." Paul supplied.

"Dammit, Paul. What have I told you about wearing a fucking condom?"

Paul shoved himself off the couch, covering the ground between us in long strides. He placed himself between me and his father in seconds.

"Don't raise your voice around her."

This was escalating too quickly. Paul was getting into a pointless fight with his father. His father was trying to give him good advice, and was legitimately upset. If Paul had just taken the time to calmly correct his father, there would be no issue. Instead he was beginning to shake. He was only hearing the unintended slight to me and seeing the potential threat.

I reached a trembling hand forward, placing it on his back. "Shh, Paul. Calm down."

Peaking around his shoulders, I looked toward his father. "Mr. Lahote? I'm not pregnant."

The man had been staring at his son, his face turning red and his eyes beginning to bug out with anger. Paul had certainly come by his temper honestly. As soon as I spoke up they both looked me. Paul placed a hand on my hip, gently pushing me back behind him. I stubbornly kept my head out where I could see what was going on. The anger cleared from his father's face slowly.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

Paul nodded once while I sent the man a smile.

"It's okay," I reassured.

"It's not okay," Paul contradicted.

"He apologized, Paul. What more do you want him to do?"

Paul stood there for a second before shaking his head. "Come on. Let's take your stuff into my room. You can work in there."

I rolled me eyes before sending the older man a small smile. He replied with an understanding grin. He had to live with his son. He knew the boy's moods. Well, he had lived with him before I came along. Apparently, now Paul lived with me. It would have been great if I'd known that before he moved in.

I followed Paul down the short hallway, my arms full of my things. He could have at least offered to help me carry my stuff, like a gentleman. With a twist of the knob he opened the door, revealing a clean, sparsely decorated room. Holding a hand out, he ushered me in. I walked in slowly, my eyes scanning the room for any insights into his personality I could tuck away for later analysis. But there was nothing of value in his room. Nothing useful.

A plain wooden chest of drawers stood next to the doorway, completely bare on top. There wasn't even any dust on it. His bed was against the far wall, a full size with the sheets and comforter pulled up without a wrinkle. Huh, he even made his bed. The only other piece of furniture in the small room was a nightstand with an alarm clock. I would almost bet a year's worth of allowance that if I opened his closet door I'd find it just as neat. What kind of freak keeps their room that clean?

Paul shut the door and walked past me to collapse across the bed. "You gonna stand there all day?"

His voice was muffled against the pillow, but I could still make out his words.

My options were the floor or the bed. As much as I hated the idea of climbing onto the bed with him, I was a little sore from lying on the floor all morning. Eyeing him warily, I settled gently on the edge of the bed as far from him as I could get and began to nibble on my sandwich. When he didn't make any move to grab me and have his wicked way with me, I relaxed a little.

What did I expect? Paul didn't treat me like his mate. On the best of days he was gruffly tolerant of me. He had no sexual interest in me. It was perfectly safe to lay down next to him. I could probably strip off all my clothes and he'd just make a cutting remark about catching a cold. So I stretched out beside him and set my mind to my paper.

Or I tried to anyway. It was stubborn though and continuously looped back to the image of Paul sleeping on my floor every night.

"Paul?"

"Hmm."

"Where do you sleep at night?"

There was a pause in his breathing. His body tensed for a split second before relaxing. "Where do you think? I have a home, Bella. You're on my fucking bed."

I narrowed my eyes. He thought he was so crafty, twisting his words around to give a non-answer that appeared to tell me what I wanted to hear. "That's interesting, Paul, since your Dad says you've been sleeping at my place."

"_Bastard._" He mumbled the word into his pillow, so quietly I barely heard it.

"So. If you aren't here, and you aren't in my room, where are you?"

He didn't say anything.

"You aren't in my room are you?" My voice rose embarrassingly high in pitch. The idea of Paul watching me as I slept made me want to yank the pillow out from under his head and pull it over mine.

He rose up on his elbows, turning his head to look at me. "No. That's fucking creepy as hell."

A burst of air escaped my lungs as relief filled me. It had never bothered me when _he_ did it, but the idea of anyone else watching me sleep was too uncomfortable to even consider.

"So, where do you sleep then?"

He shrugged. "I spend the night in the woods by your room."

I started to nod, then stopped. "If that's true, then how did you know what my room smells like?"

His gaze darted away from mine. "I've only come in once while you were asleep." He jerked his head around to me as I started to pull away in dismay. "I could smell the trail of leech going up to your room and I couldn't tell how old it was. I had to make sure you were safe!"

His eyes were darting back and forth between mine. His face pleaded with me to understand, to forgive him. Slowly, I nodded. I could see his point. My room had to have reeked at first. _He_ had visited so often. Paul's instincts would have been raging. He wouldn't have been able to resist. It was a wonder he'd been able to control himself enough to come and go quietly enough not to wake me, and to do it without phasing. That would have been an unpleasant scene to wake up to in the middle of the night.

I relaxed slowly, nodding once to show my acceptance of his explanation.

He dropped his head back onto his pillow, but remained facing me. "You're _still_ doing homework?"

I shrugged uncomfortably. "I've got a lot of work to catch up on if I want to pass. And after the crap I turned in the first semester I'm not really sure if all this will be enough to cut it. So I'm doing all the extra credit I can get my hands on."

He frowned at me.

I turned back to my essay, trying to ignore his disapproving gaze. But it was too hard. His judgement was weighing me down, pressing me into the bed.

"What!" I finally burst, turning to him.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm just surprised that you let yourself fall apart like that over some guy."

I glared at him. "He wasn't just _some guy_. I loved him, I _love_ him."

I turned back to my paper, flustered over my slip of the tongue.

Paul snorted. "Bullshit. And even if it was true, that's no reason to go into a fucking coma. From what Jake says, you were always the one to take care of your mother before all this shit went down. Always the level headed responsible one. Then all of a sudden you're falling apart over a guy? And not even a human one at that."

His prejudice got under my skin. I had to turn to face him again. I couldn't just let his words go. "Oh? I should only consider befriending humans? Or is it that I can only date humans? You should be careful in your answer. Whether I get up and leave in the next thirty seconds depends on it."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Don't get pissy about it. You know he was a monster."

I pushed myself up so I could sit straight up. This was not a conversation to be had lying on my stomach. "He's not the only one I know."

Paul moved quickly to mirror me. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means Mr. I Have a Tail and Fangs?" I reached out and poked him in the chest. "You have no room to talk about monsters and non-humans. Hypocrite."

His hand moved too fast for my eyes to track, encasing mine before I could pull it back from poking him. Leaning forward, he snarled in my face. "I'm still human."

Air caught in my lungs as my throat closed off. Violence was flashing in his eyes again. The whole bed was shaking from the force of the shudders wracking his body. I had pushed him possibly too close to the point of phasing. How did I always put myself in the path of danger so effortlessly?

I leaned back as far as I could, pulling against the grip he had on my wrist. If I could have gotten any air past the lump of terror in my throat, I would have apologized. But that lump was solid.

He threw my wrist roughly away from his body, pushing himself off the bed with the same movement. I rubbed the sore, red skin of my wrist as he paced back and forth in the small room. I kept my eyes on his movements as I considered my chances of getting out of the room anytime soon. How likely was it that he would let me go home while he was still upset? Would he prefer that I leave so he could have his peace? Or would he want me to stay until we had worked it out?

I wanted to get out before he lost control.

He was between me and the door.

Briefly my mind touched on the window behind me. But then logic kicked in. I was the clumsiest person on the planet and he had super human speed. I would never make it out the window and to my truck unscathed and with enough speed to make a clean get away. I'd still be untangled myself from my inevitable fall on the descent from the windowsill when he caught up with me.

I glanced at him, realizing belatedly that his movements had stopped while I was involved in my internal escape debate. He was staring at me, head cocked to the side, a bemused expression on his face.

"What the hell are you thinking about right now? You look like you're having a whole argument with yourself in your head."

The little laugh at the end was the final straw. I'd had enough fun for the day. I began gathering my things quickly, shoving them into my bag in no order. I'd have to spend half an hour at least sorting out my notes when I got home. But I didn't care. I couldn't spend another second near him without attempting to tear his face off.

I stood quickly, yanking my bag onto my shoulder. "It's been great and all, but I'm going home now."

Paul rolled his eyes and grabbed my elbow. "Oh come on. Don't leave angry."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You've ignored me all day. Except when you're insulting me for hurting and thinking. So I'm done with you for the day."

His fingers squeezed. "I did not insult you for hurting. I just think you handled it wrong."

That was _so_ much better.

"Are you finished?" I raised my eyebrows, giving him a look.

He released me. "Fine. I have to patrol tonight so I won't be there for our run. See you tomorrow."

"Whatever." I started walking toward the door, but paused as curiosity overruled my desire to storm out. I turned back to him in confusion. "Didn't you just run patrol this morning? Doesn't Sam give you more than a few hours rest between shifts?"

Paul's expression shifted to irritation. "Normally. Unless he decides to punish us with doubles."

I opened my mouth to ask what he was being punished for, but then remembered that I didn't care. Besides, this was Paul. It had to be for fighting. Really, it was shocking that he didn't have to run doubles every day. So I shrugged off the words and walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, I almost forgot to work on this story over the past week, I've been so busy working on the October Writing Challenge on my LJ page. If you want to check out some of my original work, head on over (you know the drill, just replace the dots): http:dtsguru (dot) livejournal (dot) com/ **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

** Disclaimer: Not mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

My warden was running patrols when class let out. It was a Friday afternoon and I had been invited to watch a movie in Port Angeles with Angela and Ben. But I politely refused. The calming waves of First Beach were calling my name. So I threw my bag into the red beast and headed toward the reservation.

A tightly wound spring in my chest began to slowly relax as the truck growled toward the small community where I was spending more and more of my time. I hadn't even realized the tension was there, but the closer I came to the border, the easier it was to breathe. I wanted to think it was because of all my pleasant memories on the reservation. I had spent so much time there, recovering in Jacob Black's garage. The reservation was a safe haven for me. _They_ couldn't come there. There were no memories of _him_ to haunt me anywhere on the reservation. There wasn't a single place on the reservation that made the hole in my chest flare to life.

But I wasn't the type to willingly delude myself. I wasn't going to the reservation because of the treaty. I wasn't even going because of my pleasant Jake memories. I was going because of him. Paul. Something in me eased whenever I was close to him. Unfurled. I could breathe when Paul was around. Even though he was running patrol, I knew from experience that I would have a couple hours of relief sitting on the beach, just being that close.

The damp path required all of my attention as I made my way down to the beach, backpack slung over one shoulder. So I didn't realize the beach wasn't unoccupied until I was actually on it and looked up. Jacob Black was sitting at our old spot, staring out over the horizon. My steps faltered.

Despite the time I had been spending with Paul, and as a result the pack, I hadn't spent any one on one time with Jake since he had phased. We had never had a chance to clear the air between us. My heart thudded as my brain stalled. What did I do? Did I press on? Confront him about his actions? He abandoned me after promising to never hurt me. But Paul wouldn't be too happy if he knew Jake and I were spending time alone together. Even if it was in such an exposed setting. Or I could turn around, get back in my truck and go home. Or somewhere. Maybe Paul's house. I did have a key. Because that wouldn't be weird.

"I'll go if you want," Jake offered quietly, a sad note in his voice.

It was that sadness that drove my feet forward. He started to stand, even though I never asked him to leave.

"No, you can stay."

He watched me warily as I sat several feet away from him.

I stared out across the water, trying to ignore the feel of his eyes on me. Now that I was sitting next to him, no words would leave my mouth.

Eventually he spoke. "I was ordered to stay away. We're dangerous when we're young. The wolves."

My lungs paused for a moment, but I forced them to continue on. I watched the waves as I absorbed his words and what they really meant. He was ordered. So, it hadn't been a voluntary decision. Jake didn't want to hurt me. He hadn't abandoned me by choice. Not necessarily.

"Did you fight it? The order?"

Jake sucked in a deep breath. I cringed. He would have answered immediately if it was an easy answer. If I would have liked the answer. I closed my eyes for a moment, preparing myself for the blow I was about to receive. Steeling myself, I opened them once more, staring straight ahead. I could handle whatever he had to say, but only if I didn't have to look at him while he spoke.

"It wasn't worth the risk. I've seen what could happen. _You've_ seen what could happen, Bella. I nearly took my own father's head off. You think I could live with your blood on my hands?"

"I loved you too much to risk it," he whispered so quietly I barely heard the words.

Pain flooded me. It was kind of a nice change to feel the emotion for someone else though. An image of Emily's scarred face swam through my mind. Jake didn't want me to be her. Didn't he understand? I was already Emily. Just because my scars weren't visible didn't mean they weren't there.

"And now," he continued on a bitter chuckle. "Now, it all means nothing. I can't ever have you. First, it was that blood sucking tick. And now it's a douche bag with anger management issues. You're supposed to be his fucking soul mate and he can't even be polite to you. Fate is a fucking bastard asshole."

A tear dripped down my cheek. He was right of course. Things worked so well for us. We clicked just right together. He was my sun. So why couldn't _he_ have imprinted on me? He was already fixing me before he phased. It would have been perfect for him to look into my eyes and belong to me forever. We made such good friends. Surely it wouldn't have been that hard to make myself feel something for him. After healing I could have done it, with enough time and focus. But no, I had to get Paul. Paul had never liked me, and still didn't. Not really. He tolerated me at best.

Sure, he threw himself between me and potential threats. But that had to be instinct. A supernatural imperative thrust on him by the wolf. His wolf may want me, but to Paul I was still the leach lover.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, looking down at my clasped hands in my lap.

A warm hand landed gently on my back and moved in soothing circles for a couple seconds before retreating again. "Hey, I know it's not your fault, Bells. This shit happened to both of us. I know you sure as hell didn't ask for it."

I shook my head, chuckling through the tightness in my throat. "I still have trouble believing it, you know? It doesn't seem real."

From the corner of my eye I could see his head moving up and down.

"I mean, he doesn't even _like_ me. How can I be his soul mate? It's got to be a mistake. He's confused or something. He's got it all wrong."

"Oh, he's wrong alright. But not about the imprint." The wood beneath us creaked. I glanced over quickly in time to see Jake easing up on his grip where his clenched fist had been pulverizing the fallen tree. "We've all seen into his head when we're phased. You're definitely the center of his universe."

Jake frowned. "Paul's just…Paul. He's got some strange ideas about love." Jake turned quickly to meet my gaze. "He'd never do anything to intentionally hurt you though. Paul really does believe he knows what's best for you."

I didn't want to hear Jake tell me that Paul had my best interest at heart, or that he loved me. Even if it was in his own way. Paul did not love me. Paul didn't even like me. The imprint, if it did even exist between us, was obviously flawed. Probably because of me. Maybe it was the large hole in my chest where my heart should be. His heart couldn't be bonded to mine if mine was dead, could it?

Reassured by that reasoning, I turned my attention back to the waves. "What does the rest of the pack think of his behavior toward me? Surely someone has said something about it?"

"When it comes to an imprint, we have to stay out of it. Unless he does something that truly hurts you, we can't say anything. He knows what's best for you. He'll know by instinct. We _have_ to stay out of it. We'd want the same for ourselves. Bells, we can't stop him from giving you what you need. It wouldn't be right."

I snorted. "By all means. Let him continue being a dick."

"You never seemed to mind when Cullen was manipulative and over-controlling," Jake replied with an edge to his voice.

I sucked in a breath, shocked that he would mention _him_ to me, knowing how I felt about that subject. Even more shocked that Jake would stand up for Paul in this discussion.

My mind was spinning. I'd come to the beach to get some relief. I hadn't seen Paul all day and I had been feeling his absence. It was growing harder and harder to go any length of time outside of his presence. But instead I'd gotten into the most confusing conversation I had ever had with Jacob. He was both lamenting the fact that Paul had imprinted on me and defending that same imprint. He needed to pick a side and stick with it.

Shaking my head to clear the fog, I stood. "Say hi to the pack for me."

"There's a bonfire tonight. You can stick around for it. Paul's shift will be over by then, so he'll be there."

My traitorous feet paused in their trek toward the path. Paul would be there? I shouldn't be so eager. I shouldn't even consider going to the bonfire just to see someone who didn't even like me, who was forced to bond with me by some arbitrary magical fate who-ha.

But I was going to.

"You can come hang at my place until it starts. It'll be like old times."

I shook my head. "I might see you there."

I considered my options as I made my way up the path. I could drive all the way back to Forks, only to turn around and come back a couple hours later. Or, I could hang out in my truck until the bonfire started. But Jake was liable to see me then, and badger me into going back to his house. Then I'd have a couple more hours of awkwardness.

I eyed the key as I swung my hands back and forth. Could I really do it?

Paul's father wasn't home. So I let myself in with the key. I briefly considered sitting on the couch to wait for Paul's return but decided I'd rather not be there if his father arrived home first. Instead, I made my way back to his room. My hands trembled as I turned the door handle. I felt like I was breaking into his house. That was stupid though. He'd given me the key.

I was still nervous though as I stretched out on his bed, pulling my homework out of my bag. At least I could get some work done, in the quiet house.

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

He didn't phase until he was within sight of me. Probably the smart thing to do, considering what was on his mind. Her face filled his head, along with the salty breeze off the ocean.

_"Motherfucker,"_ He had been alone with her. I was going to kill him.

His hackles rose. _"It's not like that."_

He replayed the conversation quickly, defensively.

A growl ripped through my throat as his mind flashed on the grip his hand had on hers during part of the conversation. I stalked forward slowly. "_I warned you to stay away from my mate."_

"_And I am. She came to me._"

My sharp white teeth were exposed as a snarl tore from my throat. "_I don't give a fuck._"

"_Look, I'm not going to interfere. Sam made sure of that." _The thought was accompanied by a complex swirl of emotion. There was too much to catch but I recognized the grudging acceptance, bitterness and heartache.

That caught me off guard, slowed my anger enough for me to think.

We were switching patrol shifts. Jake was supposed to be patrolling already. I could have been home, with Bella. Later, when Bella had left for home, I could think about what Jake and his tone of thought had meant.

"_Get your ass out there and protect the tribe. Next time I catch you alone with Bella I'm going to tear your fucking throat out. Heir to the throne or not."_

I didn't wait for a response before phasing. It would take longer to get home. Sure, Bella was waiting for me, but there was no fucking way I was going to share my head with Jacob Fucking Black all the way there. I even walked through the forest a few feet buck ass naked before pulling my shorts on, just so I wouldn't have to spend any more time than absolutely necessary in his presence.

Then I jogged all the way home. The closer I got the more I could smell her. She smelled so much better than any girl I had ever met. She didn't douse herself in perfume like a lot of the others. She smelled like soap and shampoo. She smelled pure, clean.

The house was quieter than I expected. I figured she'd be in the living room, curled on the couch watching TV. It's what I would have done if I was waiting for her at her house. Well, maybe sprawled on the couch, but same thing. Where the hell was she? I could smell her but she wasn't in the living room. No one was. I followed her smell all the way back to my room.

Pushing the door open slowly I was prepared to see her hunched over the ever-present text-book. The rate she was going she deserved to be the Valedictorian. She wasn't studying though. The book was there of course. But she had her face planted in it. She was breathing slow and steady. Even with the lights on she was out cold.

I chuckled as I approached her. The girl had to be exhausted to be sleeping so hard. I lifted her head carefully, pulling the book out from under her. I set it down on the floor then straightened to stare down at her. I could wake her. There was a bonfire to go to after all. Everyone was expecting us. And I wanted to go. More specifically, I wanted to bring Bella. She'd gained weight. She was still the whitest person I knew, but she didn't have that sickly gray tone to her skin anymore. She looked healthy. Her hair was even shiny. I wanted everyone to see how much better she looked. She was even starting to smile more, and not just when that fucker Jake was around.

But she was tired. I was tired. The bed was big enough for both of us. A couple hours couldn't hurt. And there would be more bonfires. Maybe she would have gained even more weight by then. She might even be laughing out loud by then.

I climbed into the bed next to her, not even bothering to turn off the light. With it on I wouldn't oversleep.

* * *

><p>A noise jolted me out of sleep. I sat up quickly, ready to defend the slight figure lying at my side. The figure in the doorway paused, his hand on the light switch.<p>

My father cocked an eyebrow at me.

I grumbled and lay back down.

"Her dad know where she is?"

"Fuuuuuck," I drew the word out, lazily turning my head to see the clock. It was after midnight. The chief of police was going to be beating down our door any minute.

"Shit, Paul," My dad whispered, waving a hand toward Bella. "You know her father is going to tear this fucking rez apart looking for her. What the hell were you thinking?"

I pushed myself into a seated position and started to carefully crawl out of bed, trying not to disturb Bella's sleep. "I'll call him, let him know she's safe."

My father snorted. "Right. He'll love hearing from you. Get your ass back in bed. I'll call him. But don't expect this to blow over, Son. There will be consequences."

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

Heat suffused me. Sweat poured down my neck, plastering little tendrils of hair to my skin. I pushed the hair away from my face with an irritated groan. Pushing my arms under me, I started to rise, intent on turning my ceiling fan on. But then the arm around my waist stopped me, pulling me back into the warm chest.

My eyes popped open in shock. Then I remembered where I was. I was in Paul's room. In Paul's bed.

With Paul.

When did Paul get home? And why was he cradling me against his chest? His naked, chiseled chest? Rolling my head, I looked around the room, the very dark room. My heart leapt into my throat when I noticed the clock. It was six in the morning!

I jerked away from him, breaking his hold and started throwing my books into my bag. Charlie was going to kill me!

Paul sat up, wiping sleep from his eye. "What's going on?"

"What's going on! You let me spend the night! Charlie is never going to let me out of the house again!"

Paul glanced toward the clock. "Just come back to bed. Dad already called him a few hours ago when he found us in here."

I placed my hands on my hips. "Oh, I'm sure that'll help. Yes, Chief. Don't worry about where you're daughter was last night. She was in bed with my son the whole time. You can kiss those nights on the couch with him watching basketball games goodbye. You're going to be on his list from now on too."

Paul shrugged, his expression nonplussed as he settled down onto his back again. "It's not like you're a minor. What's he going to do?"

He had a point, kind of. But Charlie was still my father. And I wasn't comfortable blatantly disregarding his rules. With a quiet little shriek of frustration, I whipped around, heading for the door.

I tapped my fingers nervously against the steering wheel as I drove down the deserted roads. Nobody was out and about so early on a Saturday morning. Nobody but the fishermen. Briefly I hoped that maybe Charlie had gone on his usual weekend fishing trip with Billy. But then logic poked its head in for a visit, reminding me that there was no way on earth Charlie was going to take off for a frivolous fishing trip until he knew I was safely back where I belonged. And probably grounded until I graduated.

Yes, it was true that I was eighteen. I was legally an adult. But I was still living under his roof and I was still in high school. Neither one of us viewed me as a mature adult at the moment. Especially after the previous semester's stellar example of how I handled shocking and traumatic experiences. I had some growing up to do yet. So, I would take whatever punishment he doled out. And I would take it silently.

My stomach was twisted up into a painful knot by the time I pulled the truck into the driveway. Charlie met me at the door, his eyes hard, his mouth pulled into a firm, straight line. He motioned with one swift, hard movement of his hand toward the couch. I dropped my backpack next to it as I sank onto the cushion, my eyes focused on the floor. I knew I was innocent of whatever he was imagining, but I still couldn't meet the anger in his eyes.

"You may think you're an adult now that you're eighteen, but I expect some basic respect. There are rules in this house that _will _be followed." His shook a little with the build up of anger and worry.

I nodded quickly.

"There won't be any more sleepovers with Paul while you're in school. There won't be any boys in this house while I'm not here. There won't be any boys in your room with the door closed."

Heat spread through my face and neck. Of course I knew what he thought I had been doing the night before. But to have him talking about it was torture. I was eighteen years old. I shouldn't have to listen to my father talk about my sex life, especially since I didn't have one.

"I had no idea where you were, Bella. I was about to send out an APB on your truck when Paul's dad gave me a call, so I wouldn't worry about you."

I cringed. It was horrifying knowing that two fathers thought I'd had sex the night before. "I'm sorry. I was doing my homework at Paul's house, waiting for him to get off work and I fell asleep. He didn't wake me up when he got home, just laid down next to me and went to sleep. I didn't wake up until this morning."

Charlie snorted. "Bella, I'm not stupid. I've been young and in love. I know what happens. Just promise me you're being smart about it."

I was confused for about half a second, before the meaning hit me. Unfortunately I was oblivious long enough for Charlie to read my face and feel the need to further explain.

"I…I don't need to take you to the doctor, do I? Get you those monthly pills?" Now he was turning red, rubbing the back of his neck.

I shook my head quickly. "No! No, I don't need them."

He dropped his hand quickly. "Didn't you take a health class?" His eyes darted away from mine again. "The stuff you buy at the store…it's not as effective."

I played with the strap of my backpack, wishing I was anywhere but in that room. Why couldn't he have just grounded me? Locked me up in a jail cell for a couple hours to scare me straight? Forced me to do a few hours of community service? Anything but a sex talk.

I had to end this as quickly as possible. "I don't need them because I'm a virgin! I'm not having sex with anyone. And I don't plan to anytime soon."

He shifted in his chair. "Last night?"

"I fell asleep waiting for Paul."

"And he didn't wake you up when he got home?"

I shrugged, uncomfortable again. "He didn't think it was a big deal."

Charlie grumbled for a moment. "Well it is a big deal. You're grounded. And he's not allowed in this house until further notice. See how well he likes that."

My stomach clenched and my heart pounded as a wave of panic flashed over me. Paul would not handle that well at all. He had to see me. I had to see him. It wasn't something we just wanted. We physically needed the contact, the face time with each other. How were we going to handle being separated?

How was I going to break it to him?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I didn't write Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I stirred the cereal around in the bowl, listlessly watching the little flakes spinning. They'd gone soggy awhile earlier. I'd never taken a bite. I couldn't stomach the idea of placing a spoonful of anything in my mouth and actually swallowing it. Everything tasted like cardboard. The thought of eating anything was nauseating.

I blinked, the movement darkening my vision for several seconds as my eyelids lagged on the way back up.

Charlie growled. "No way in hell is this happening again."

I glanced up at him, startled. "Huh?"

"You. The deep depression over a boy. No. You're going to live with your mother."

I sucked in a breath, ready to argue, but he shook his head.

"This is not healthy. I'm not going to sit by and watch you fall apart again. I love you too much."

My heart ached for him. I could understand where he was coming from, academically. But he was wrong. Moving to Florida was the worst thing I could do. It wasn't an option. It might actually kill Paul and I both.

"It's just the break in my routine," I argued, trying desperately to keep my panic from leaking over into my voice. "I haven't been running or keeping my bedtime routine. So I haven't been sleeping. I'm exhausted. Besides, Paul and I were never dating. I don't know why you keep insisting we were or that we love each other. He doesn't even like me. Why would I be depressed about him not being here?"

Charlie narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm not blind, Bells."

What was that supposed to mean?

He studied me for a long moment. "Fine. I'll give you a couple weeks. You can go on your runs. Alone. And you'd better get yourself to bed on time. If you can get yourself back to normal, then you can stay here."

I smiled, nodding. But inside I was stubbornly sticking my chin up. I didn't care what he had to say about the matter, I wasn't moving out of the state. He could kick me out of his house of course. I wasn't a minor. He had no legal obligation to provide housing for me. But Paul would take me in. Or Sam if it came to that. Paul's father might have an issue with me living in his house after all. Either way, I would have a place to go.

After another long moment, Charlie seemed to back down. "Okay then. I'm going fishing with Billy. You're still grounded, until it's time for your run."

"I understand."

I worried on the issue all day. I considered calling Paul, to let him know what Charlie had threatened. But I knew what Paul's gut reaction would be. He'd come straight to my house and start packing my things. I wasn't ready to move in with him yet. I might not _ever_ be ready. Maybe I hadn't even been lying to Charlie. Maybe I did just need to run and get back on my schedule. It was possible.

I was dressed in running clothes and waiting in the living room when he arrived home, cooler full of fish in hand. His eyebrow cocked up and his lips twitched in a grin when he caught sight of my eager appearance. Without a word, he motioned his head toward the door, giving silent permission for me to leave.

I shot off the couch and out the door. Within a few minutes though, I slowed. My feet did not strike the pavement with the same satisfying thud. The air did not move in and out of my lungs with the same cleansing breath. The silence wasn't peaceful. It was deafening. The run wasn't pleasant at all without Paul by my side.

Frowning, I pushed myself a little harder. I was _going_ to sleep tonight. Regardless of how I made it happen. If I had to wear myself out, then that was what I would do.

And then I felt it.

The pulling in my chest.

He was drawing closer to me. I closed my eyes and let out a choked sob in relief. Then I yanked my eyes open and pulled myself together. What was wrong with me? Paul couldn't have that much control over me.

I was just as bad as Charlie said I was. It was pathetic what I'd let the imprint do to me.

Then Paul was breaking through the trees beside the road, jogging out to meet me, and I just didn't care how pathetic I was. I didn't care how stupid I looked as a wide grin spilled across my face. All that mattered was the weight was lifting off of me. I could breathe easily again. The world had colors again. And hey, I could smell some really fantastic flowers in the air too.

Paul fell into step beside me, his eyes drinking in my appearance. I kept my attention on the road as much as I could. Even he couldn't cure my natural clumsiness. But, I couldn't miss the frown he sent my way.

"You look like shit."

The smile slid from my lips.

Paul growled. "It's a good thing this grounded shit is over. I was coming over either way today. I don't like what the separation has done to you."

I shook my head, then had to lift a hand to pull strands of hair from where they stuck to my sweaty forehead. "I'm still grounded. I had to convince Charlie to let me out to run."

Paul was quiet for a minute. "Why would he let you out to run if you're grounded?"

I glared at the ground, my mind spinning. I hadn't really ever intended on telling him about my little deal with Charlie. But the words were clawing their way up my throat. Something about the bond between us didn't facilitate lies or even half-truths.

"He was worried about me. You said yourself, I don't look so good. He was afraid I was going zombie again."

Paul nodded. "You do look like shit."

I sent him a glare. "Yes. I believe you've covered that adequately. We can move on now."

Paul shook his head. "Let's not. What's with the dark circles under the eyes? And have you lost weight _again_?"

I huffed out a frustrated burst of air. "Oh, and I suppose you've handled the past couple of weeks fantastically? Is that why you stayed away so long?"

Paul snorted. "Fuck no I haven't done well. Sam said I needed to obey your father's wishes. He's making me run patrols alone now too. The others refuse to phase with me. Say I'm emotionally scarring them or some shit. I was around though, even if you couldn't see me."

I shuddered. Nope, I wasn't moving to Florida. Forget about the effect to Paul and me; the pack couldn't handle it.

"Yeah, well, Charlie was worried about me so I told him I was just exhausted. That I needed to start running again and do a better job of getting to bed on time. So maybe I could sleep."

His head turned toward me again, and I could feel him studying my face. "You aren't sleeping again?"

I shrugged. "Not really."

He looked my body up and down. "Are you eating anything?"

"I eat."

"Bullshit. Dammit, Bella! You have to take better care of yourself!"

He stopped running, grabbing my arm and jerking me to a halt. My momentum pulled me half-way around to face him. I finished the turn, facing him head-on.

"I'm doing the best I can!" I tried to argue, but it came out as more of a whine. "This is the first time I can breathe in the past two weeks! How do you expect me to cope with that?"

Paul ran both hands through his hair, letting out a frustrated growl. "Shit! I thought he'd ease up after a couple days. What the hell is his problem? You're eighteen fucking years old! It's not like you knocked over a convenience store, you just stayed out one night. And he knew where you were!"

I nodded. "He holds onto these things." My mind wandered to Charlie's Florida plan. "And he's not very reasonable about them either."

Paul clenched his teeth. "I'm done with this bullshit. I'm _going_ to see you every day. I'm not going to let you suffer anymore because of this."

"And how do you plan on doing that? It's his house, Paul. We can't just ignore his rules."

Paul snorted again. "Watch me. Come on, he's gonna come looking for you if you don't get home soon."

Then he turned and pushed me off in the direction of home. He didn't say anything else as we ran. Even worrying about what he had planned, the run was pleasant. Just being in his company was enjoyable. It was crazy and screwed up the way the imprint bond had made me so completely reliant on his presence. How could the run back to the house be so different from the run away from it, just because he was keeping pace beside me?

Just before we turned the corner that would bring the house into sight, Paul grabbed my elbow. "Leave your window unlocked when you go to bed."

My mouth fell open. "You've got to be kidding."

His lips twitched into a smirk. "You told him you'd be all healed with some good sleep. What better way to ensure you get it?"

Of course he was right. I would truly rest with Paul there with me. I wouldn't have any nightmares and my body would receive the benefit of his proximity. There was the added benefit that we wouldn't actually have to deal with each other, since we would both be asleep. It would only be an option when he didn't have overnight patrols, but for most nights it was workable.

But still. It was incredibly risky. What if Charlie walked in? He never had gotten around to installing a lock on my door.

Paul sent me another smirk before turning and jogging into the woods.

"That was a short run," Charlie commented as I walked into the house moments later.

I nodded, my stomach a mess of nerves. "I'm out of shape. I'll have to work my way back up to the longer runs."

Charlie glanced out the window. "Must be boring, alone."

My head bobbed up and down again. "It is. We didn't even talk much before, but it's different running alone. I'll have to remember my MP3 player tomorrow."

I headed up for the shower, then stayed in my room to finish my homework. Charlie popped his head in to tell me goodnight. I didn't miss the way his eyes darted around the room, checking it out for intruders. Guilt clawed at my throat, trying to force a pre-emptive confession past my tongue. Paul hadn't even slipped into my room yet. The window was still closed. It had been months since I had knowingly let a boy in. But still, I had to fight the urge to tattle on myself while my father was standing there, wishing me a good night's rest.

I waited half an hour, until I heard the first few light snores drifting down the hallway. Then I stepped lightly over to the window, unlocked it and slid it open. I was still making my way quietly across the floor when a light thump behind me startled me, sending me a foot off the ground. Hot arms wrapped around me, one around my waist and another across my mouth.

"Shh. It's me," Paul whispered in my ear.

I nodded. Part of my brain knew that I should be concerned with whether Charlie had heard the sound of Paul landing in my room. But the majority of my mind was caught up in the fact that Paul's arm was wrapped around me a little too high on my abdomen, and I had neglected to put on a bra after my shower. I had been moving on auto-pilot, and I never wore one when I was winding down for the day.

He released me, stepping back a bit. I moved to the bed, nervously gathering my school books, stacking them into random order. He followed me. The whole bed shifted as he settled a foot away from my spot. My tower of books tilted. I rescued the toppling texts only to shove them into my bag. I was finished with homework anyway. Unfortunately.

I wasn't ready to climb under the covers with Paul. I needed a distraction. Something to stall the inevitable. Just because I had spent the night in his bed once did not mean I was at all comfortable with this idea. Besides, I had already been asleep when he climbed in next to me. I was unaware the whole time.

I dropped the backpack over the side of the bed, steeled my nerves, and turned to face him. He was looking at me. No, smirking at me. Rolling his eyes, he pulled the covers back just enough for me to climb under, but he stayed on top of them. I crawled over on my hands and knees, my heart pounding in my chest. Nothing was going to happen. Just sleep. Paul was only in my bed to make sure we both got some much needed proximity and I got some desperately needed rest. He did not see me as a sexual being. That much was abundantly clear. He was always telling me how bad I looked. No guy said that to a girl he was trying to get into bed.

I finally crawled across the bed, and lay down. Paul covered me with my blanket, then leaned across me to switch off the lamp. I tensed as his arm came down across my stomach, pulling my back up against his chest.

"Relax, Swan. I'm not trying to rape you. I'm just getting comfortable."

I scowled into the darkness. For a minute I considered fighting him about the cuddling. But I could feel my body relaxing into his against my will. It was that damn imprint working against me. No matter what I wanted, I _needed_ to be close to him. At least I could satisfy that need while I was asleep though. If I was lucky, a few nights of this, a week tops, and I would be back to normal. Charlie would stop threatening to send me away again. He might even rescind the grounding. The room faded to black with that hopeful thought swimming through my head.

I woke up covered in sweat, the covers thrown off me, alone in my bed. Looking around I could see no sign of Paul. Even the window was closed, but not locked. My door opened and Charlie's head popped in.

"Morning." He frowned at me. "You have a fever last night?"

I ran a hand through my damp hair. "I think I have too many blankets on my bed."

I sat up. "I'm gonna take a shower before breakfast."

Charlie nodded before pulling his head out of my room. I gathered my things and made my way to the bathroom. I made sure to examine my reflection carefully, hoping for some drastic improvement. One night was not the cure though. I snarled and turned to the shower. I was going to have to sleep with just the sheet from now on unless I wanted to wake up covered in sweat for the next week.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So yeah...it's short. Really damn short. Sorry about that. <strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

**Disclaimer: I didn't write Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

After two weeks of nearly nightly visits from Paul I was sleeping better, and taking showers twice a day, once in the morning and again after my daily run. The dark circles faded away from under my eyes. My sense of taste stopped slipping away half-way through the day. Which meant I gained back some of the weight I had lost. So I didn't look quite so much like patient zero of the Zombie Apocalypse.

My stamina increased as I pushed myself a little further during each night's run. Okay. So it was Paul pushing me. As soon as I had run around the corner out of eyesight of the house, he would step out of the woods. We would run until I felt a stitch in my side, and then Paul would taunt me until I ran just a little longer. Left to my own self-discipline I would have run for five minutes and turned around. Or possibly not even set out on the run at all. I was always exhausted when I walked in my door. But it was a good exhaustion. It helped me slip into a deep sleep every night. Even the nights when Paul was patrolling, I could rest without the nightmares.

"You're looking better, Bells," Charlie commented over cereal and toast one morning.

I sent him a small smile, figuring the effort would be appreciated. "I think getting back into a routine was a good idea."

"Looks like," he replied as he lifted his coffee mug to his lips, his mustache twitching with a slight smirk.

I tilted my head down to shove more cereal in my mouth, watching Charlie through my lashes the whole time. Would he relent now? Would I be released from my sentence?

"Surprised that Paul kid hasn't tried coming around."

I shrugged, glad my face was still turned down. Charlie didn't need to know that I saw Paul every day. I doubted it would go over very well if he did know.

"If I un-ground you, will you follow the rules? Curfew? No boys in your room? You'll be responsible?"

I cringed on the last two stipulations. I couldn't possibly fulfill those. "I'm not making the same mistakes again. And I promise Paul won't."

I carefully avoided a straight lie. Darting my eyes up I found Charlie studying my face carefully.

"You can go to the bonfire tonight. We'll call it a trial run."

I sent him a bright smile. "Thanks."

He leveled a stern gaze at me. "But home by midnight. And I don't want to be a grandpa anytime soon."

I cringed. "I'm not coming back knocked up tonight."

* * *

><p>"So, how's it going with Paul," Emily asked as she sat down.<p>

As a conversation starter, it wasn't great. Emily and I hadn't had many opportunities to bond, but every one that we did have had been awkward. Emily loved being an imprint. The bond she shared with Sam was nothing like the bond I had with Paul. They loved each other, deeply. They even liked each other.

And every time we had five minutes together, Emily pushed me to accept Paul. She just didn't get that Paul and I weren't going to have that lovey-dovey relationship. She wouldn't listen to me either. It was becoming insulting. What exactly made her think I was shoving Paul away?

"Fine, Emily. How's it going with Sam?" I couldn't quite keep the bite from my tone.

She turned her gaze out to the fire. "We were worried about Paul for awhile there. He hasn't been that on edge since he first started phasing. Quil said Paul almost phased in the middle of their science class once, because the lead broke on his pencil in the middle of a test."

Wait…Quil? When did Quil join the pack? Last I knew Jake was still being forced to ignore his friend. With another pack member, Paul would have more free time, and now that I was being released from my prison sentence he would be spending at least part of that time with me. Quil's presence meant Jacob would be a little happier too. I searched the group of boys quickly. My eyes glided over Paul's as his darted my way and then back to Sam's face. He was always doing that. If he wasn't sitting beside me he was constantly seeking me out, keeping a watch on me. The other pack members were lumped together a few feet away from Paul and Sam, all toasting the extra hotdogs they'd brought along.

For the most part, the group of overgrown boys was laughing and carefree. All except one. Jacob was making an effort to have a good time. He was leaning back on a piece of drift wood, smiling and laughing along with the jokes Quil was telling. Now that I knew who I was looking at, I couldn't believe I hadn't recognized the beefed up version of Quil. Jake smiled up at him, but the smile never reached his eyes. And it always dimmed too quickly. There were too many long stretches of somberness on his face. Jake's face was not made for seriousness.

I felt Emily's eyes on me again. Glancing over, I found her frowning at me. Rolling my eyes I turned my attention back to the fire. Of course she would think I was taking an undue interest in Jake.

I picked up a stick and threw it into the fire. "I'm not going to stop being Jake's friend just because I'm Paul's imprint. Jake was there for me when no one else was. When I would have rather died than take another breath. And you know what, I think it's wrong for anyone to ask me to abandon my friends just because of this imprint thing."

She frowned. "He's not just a friend, at least not in his mind. You don't need him getting in between you and Paul right now. Not when your relationship is still in the development stages."

And there was the relationship plug. I knew it was coming. If I could just duct tape her mouth shut without pulling the wrath of Sam down on top of me.

I took a long moment to attempt to control myself before I dared to open my mouth. "Jacob knows better than to try to interfere with whatever this is between Paul and me. Unlike some people, the pack respects the sanctity of an imprint bond and knows how to just let things unfold at their natural pace."

She sat back with a stunned expression. I grinned, until I looked up to find all of the pack members staring at us. Most of them were watching us with nervous looks. Paul was watching me with an intense look. Sam was glaring at me. But then, he would be angry with me for daring to speak with such a harsh tone to his dear, sweet, innocent Emily.

I stood, wiping sand from my butt. There were still two hours to go before my curfew, but the night had lost its appeal for me. Paul frowned as I grabbed my purse. He hopped up, moving around the fire to my side before I could more than a couple steps.

"You're going home already?"

I glanced back toward Emily. Sam was already holding her, comforting her. Anger burned in my stomach. "Yeah, I have a curfew for awhile. You can stay and enjoy the bonfire though. It won't hurt my feelings."

Charlie would be thrilled I was home early. Maybe I would stay up with him for awhile. He seemed a little lonely when he watched his basketball games since Paul had stopped coming over. He might enjoy my company, despite my complete lack of sports enthusiasm.

Paul snorted. "I've spent more than enough time with these idiots."

I supposed that was true. Paul had been stuck with the pack all day every day, except for the short time he was with me on our daily run. Besides, there was still a good bit of tension in the air from my discussion with Emily. All of that would fall on Paul as soon as I left. Why should he have to face that? And it wasn't as if Paul was the most diplomatic person around, to be left to clean up my mess.

I nodded. "I'll open the window as soon as I get home."

"As soon as _you_ get home? As soon as _we _get home."

"Right."

I handed over the keys as soon as we arrived in the parking lot. The ride was silent. Unlike most of our silences, there was a little tension in the air. I wasn't sure what it was about though. I didn't have any issues with Paul that I had to work out, at least none that I knew about. So, it had to be all on his end. I shot him glances every time I had the opportunity, which was only as a passing car happened along. His jaw was clenched tight, his eyes narrowed into little slits of anger. But I had no idea why.

I wracked my brain as we neared Forks. Had I done something to upset him? I couldn't remember an argument. We hadn't run that day because he'd been on patrol earlier in the afternoon. We seemed fine during the run the day before. He held me as we fell asleep. And like most mornings, he was gone before I woke up. I frowned into my lap. Maybe I said something unpleasant in my sleep? What had I been dreaming about?

I couldn't remember though. Anxiety buzzed through me as we drove past the Forks welcome sign. We needed to reach some kind of understanding on whatever was bothering him before we left the truck. Charlie's presence in the house would hinder our ability to work through the issue in my room. It was now or never.

"Is everything okay?" It was a weak starting point but I had no idea how else to start the conversation.

Paul's eyes flicked over to me. He grunted.

What kind of response was that? I was making a serious effort here to fix whatever was wrong and he was going caveman on me?

"That's not going to cut it, Paul. I deserve an answer."

He responded through clenched teeth. "You're awfully close with Jake."

My mouth fell open. He had to be kidding me. "Did you not listen to a word I said to her back there?"

His eyes shifted back to me again. "I heard you defending him."

"You heard what you wanted to hear. You weren't listening."

"I did not want to hear what I fucking heard."

"Idiot," I muttered, crossed my arms, and turned to glare out of my windshield at the road.

A cracking sound had me whipping my head back around. "What was that! Was that my steering wheel? Did you just break my steering wheel?"

"I'll replace it," he replied angrily.

"I can't believe you broke my steering wheel!"

"And I can't believe you defended your relationship with Black instead of your relationship with me!" He yelled suddenly.

I shrank back from him in shock. Paul took a deep breath and visibly relaxed his grip on the wheel. "Shit, Swan, you're my fucking imprint. I'd think you would've given me the time of day in that little conversation. But no, it was Jake this and Jake that."

I shook my head. He was acting jealous, which was ridiculous. "You really weren't listening, were you? You heard his name, but did you pay enough attention to what I was saying to hear me say he wasn't a threat to you? To us?"

I could see him watching me from the corner of his eye. "What does that mean?"

"It means, that I don't care how Jake sees me, how he _ever _saw me. He's never been more than a friend to me. And where do you get off being so upset? You don't really _like_ me! The only reason you're here is because you have to be. You're forced into this."

I grasped wildly at the dashboard as he slammed on the brakes and steered onto the shoulder of the road. He jerked on the gear shift until the truck was in park then turned to face me with a look of disbelief.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

I glared at him. "Oh, don't pretend like you really like me. You hated me before this whole imprint situation. I don't see how that could have changed. You're obligated to be with me now. Don't act like this is anything more than it is."

"Stop being stupid."

A mixture of anger and pain shot through me at his words. "I'm not being stupid, Paul. What was it you called me? The leech lover? I doubt that was meant to be complimentary."

He looked away. "I didn't know you."

"You didn't want to know me. And you know what? I don't think that's really changed."

He threw his hands up in the air. "What the fuck is your problem? Why the fuck do you think I'm around you all the time?"

"Because your wolf forces you." I answered bluntly.

He shook his head. "Even if that were true, what makes you think the wolf would make me talk to you?"

"Clearly it doesn't. You barely speak to me." Okay, so perhaps a tad of my bitterness slipped through on that one.

"I talk to you."

"I didn't know you only lived with your father until I was at your house and I asked where your mother was. I have no idea how you're doing in school. I don't know you're favorite food, movie, music, anything. And you don't know those things about me. How can you say you like me if you don't really know anything about me?"

He scowled. "You stick up for your friends. I like that. Even if I don't like the friends you're sticking up for."

"He's _your_ friend too!"

"Not when he's sniffing around you."

"Oh, thanks so much for making me sound like a dog in heat."

He growled. He freaking growled at me. "I don't see you as a bitch in heat Bella. You know that's not how I meant it. You can't expect me to like it when other guys take an interest in you."

"That's so stupid," I stated impatiently. "Why do you care? You're not interested that way, so why should it matter if someone else is? Do you expect me to be alone for the rest of my life?"

"Well of course I'm not looking at you like that right _now_. You're not ready for that. We're not ready for that. But later, hell yeah I'm gonna be interested."

The shock drowned out my anger. "Wait..what?"

He frowned, his eyes darting over my face anxiously. "What? Is there a problem with that?"

I couldn't find the words at first, so I just shrugged. "I…I mean…I hadn't really…I just thought since you hate me that wasn't really…"

"I don't hate you!" He continued to argue his point, but I'd heard it already so I tuned it out.

We could not go down that path again. We'd be on the side of the road all night. I started talking over him. "So…what's the timeline on this?"

The question stopped his rant. "There's no deadline on this, Bella. We don't need that kind of pressure. We'll know when we're ready."

"And what if one person is ready and the other person isn't?"

He shrugged. "Then _we're_ not ready. Don't worry, I'm patient, at least when it comes to you. I can wait until you're comfortable with it."

I snorted. "And what if it's you who isn't ready?"

He chuckled harshly. "Not gonna happen. The damn wolf wanted to put a ring on it the minute I laid eyes on you. I'm ready when you are."

"Oh yeah, no pressure there."

"You asked."

"Well maybe I should keep my mouth shut from now on."

Paul rubbed his hands across his face roughly. "You said we didn't talk enough. Now you don't want to talk at all? Holy hell woman, are you PMSing?"

My mouth dropped open. Then I reached over and slapped his arm as hard as I could. It was a reflexive action. I would have hit any male who asked me that question. The jerk. So what if it was a freakishly accurate question.

I took a deep breath as I rubbed my stinging hand. "Just take me home. Obviously talking about this tonight isn't a good idea. We're both too angry."

"Whatever," he growled out, ramming the truck into the drive as he spoke.

The truck trudged down the road, the grinding of the gears and the growling of the engine the only sounds in the cab. I stared out the window into the black night, my mind churning over the words we'd exchanged.

The pace of the whole relationship depended on me? I didn't know how I felt about that. With E…Edward I had tried to push the relationship further, I had always been trying to push. But he had pushed back, keeping us at a safe, shallow depth. I chewed on my lip as I considered how I felt about another attempt with someone new. I didn't know if I even wanted to be friends with him, much less more than friends.

"You spending the night in here?" Paul's gruff voice snapped me out of my introspection.

I looked up to realize that we were in my driveway. I popped my door open. "I'll tell Charlie goodnight and go open my window."

Charlie looked up in surprise when I came in the door. The small argument on the side of the road had cost some time, but there was still over an hour before my curfew.

"Have fun, Bells?"

"Sure." There was no reason to disappoint him. "You have a good night?"

He nodded, already turning back to the game he was watching. I jogged up the stairs to open my window for Paul. Then I grabbed my pajamas and headed to the shower. When I came back into the room Paul was asleep in my bed. Thank goodness Charlie never randomly walked into my room.

After shutting the door I fell onto the bed, on top of the blankets. Paul was too much of a furnace to use even a sheet. Scooting to the edge of the bed, as far away from Paul as I could get, I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Bella thought her father didn't check on her at night. If only.

I jumped out of the bed, alerted once again by the sound of his snores cutting off, his door opening with a quiet snick. It hadn't taken me long to learn to leave the closet door open at night. Sliding into the dark interior, I pulled the door mostly closed behind myself, leaving a sliver of her room in view. A second later dim light flooded the room as Charlie opened the door, peeking in.

At first I thought he'd stop, once the nightly screaming ending. It hadn't taken very long at all for the nightmares to fade away. But Charlie persisted. The man clearly loved his daughter.

This was the second check-in of the night, so it would probably be the last. Charlie usually only came by twice. Three times if there was a noisy storm.

Just as he was closing the door Bella stirred.

"Paul," she muttered. The rest of the sentence was too jumbled and slurred to understand, but I'd heard enough to send my heart rate skyrocketing.

Charlie paused too, probably scared of being caught in the act. He stayed frozen for a moment, waiting for Bella to come to, but she didn't. She just continued her sleep talking in a voice so quiet I could barely make it out. Charlie wouldn't be able to hear it all.

After another second that lasted an eternity he finally shut the door. I was going to buy the girl a damn lock for a graduation present.

I waited until I heard the creaking of his mattress springs before I crept from the closet. Charlie had been known to double back. As soon as I laid down Bella rolled into me. Only then could I make out what she had been muttering.

"Don't leave me, Paul."

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I woke up slowly. Heat suffused me, and peace. Everything was okay. Smiling, I burrowed deeper into the feeling, keeping my eyes closed. Bands of warmth around me tightened, drawing me closer to the well of contentment.

But an annoying bead of sweat rolled down my temple. I untangled my arm from the warmth to wipe the moisture away from my face. Lazily, I opened my eyes, to find that I was staring at a chest.

Ugh. I wasn't nestled in a soft warm bed. I was cuddled up to Paul. Either I had sought him out in my sleep or he had pulled me to him sometime in the night. Regardless, I was pressed up closer to Paul than I had ever been before.

Scowling, I rolled away from him. As soon as my body started to move away he released his grip, stretching his arms up over his head with a noisy yawn.

"Shh!" I admonished him.

"Relax. He left an hour ago."

A glance at the clock confirmed that it was well past the time Charlie usually left for his fishing weekends with Billy. Had Paul been awake the whole time?

Sitting on the edge of the bed I couldn't see him watching me, but I could feel his eyes on my back. "Um..I'll just get dressed then make some breakfast."

The bed rolled beneath me as Paul moved to a seated position beside me. "Sounds good."

He got up and padded quietly out of the room.

The anger from the night before was gone from his tone. It seemed that we were back to a truce of sorts. For the time being at least.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I am not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

Mike's eyes tracked every move I made behind the counter. My skin was starting to crawl from the scrutiny. Didn't he have anything better to do? The aisles needing sweeping. Stock needed shelving. Shelves needed straightening. There was a store room begging for a good inventory taking. But no, he was leaning against the counter, staring at me.

Finally, he broke the silence. "You need some coffee?"

His question didn't make any sense at first, coming out of the blue like that. I stared dumbly at him.

"You look like you didn't sleep at all last night," he explained.

I hadn't. Paul had patrolled overnight. I was so used to his presence in my bed that being alone now was foreign, despite the fact it happened every couple nights. So I had rolled most of the night. "Oh, yeah. Um, coffee would be good. Thanks."

He disappeared into the break room, leaving me in peace for a few blissful moments. The solitude didn't last long though. All too soon he popped up beside me holding out a coffee mug, full of light brown liquid. Knowing Mike there would be a sugary sweet sludge left in the bottom of the cup if I drank the concoction. When Mike offered to bring a person a cup of coffee, there was always more creamer and sugar in the cup than actual coffee. I wouldn't complain though, the errand had gotten him away from me for a few minutes and the beverage did still contain caffeine.

"You want to talk about it?" He offered, always eager to rush in and save me. Hoping it would be his turn to be my knight in shining armor, and therefor win my affection.

I almost snorted my coffee. Setting the cup down carefully, I shook my head. "No. Just a restless night."

He didn't really want to hear about my inability to sleep because I was missing my bedmate. We were saved from any further conversation as Mike's mother walked in the front door. She looked around with a frown.

"Has it been this slow all morning?"

Mike turned around to prop himself on the counter on his elbows, the edge of the counter pressing harshly across the midpoint of his back. "People are still scared from the bear sightings."

"We did sell a fishing license and a couple poles," I added, not wanting them to dwell on the 'bear' sightings.

She sighed. "You can go on home, Bella. Unless business picks up I won't need you for the rest of the week. We'll give you a call if we need you."

"Oh, okay." I pulled my apron off slowly.

What was I going to do with myself all day? I couldn't go home. Paul would kill me, if the vampire didn't. He wanted me on La Push soil if I wasn't in school, at work or in bed. I felt like such a burden when I showed up on the doorstep of a pack member though. I couldn't show up at Paul's house, he would still be sleeping after patrolling half the night.

But my thoughts did bring up another matter. "I probably won't be at home. If I don't answer my cell, you can get me at one of these numbers." I grabbed a piece of paper and quickly jotted down every phone number I knew for the pack members. Then I circled Paul's cell phone and home phone numbers. "Try these first."

Mike leaned over to frown down at the numbers. "Let me guess. Paul?"

I nodded as I grabbed the mug of coffee I had barely sipped from and headed for the break room. Mike was still scowling when I came back out of the break room with my purse. He would just have to get over it. Unlike the Cullens, Paul was going to stick around. He was always going to be part of my life.

I drove around La Push for a while, trying to figure out where I was going to spend my time. Eventually I ended up in a familiar driveway, staring at the little red house. I argued with myself for several minutes. Did I really want to be there? Jacob still had a thing for me. He was still bitter about the imprint, about my relationship with the Cullens, about the fact that we were never meant to be. Jacob could put a three-year-old girl to shame with his pouting skills. He never acted out blatantly, but I could tell he wasn't happy about the situation. He had helped me when I needed it the most though. He had been my sun in the darkest days of my life. I owed him something for that, didn't I?

Finally, I popped my door open and hopped out. My stomach balled up as I mounted the steps. What kind of reception would I receive? The last time I had seen any of the pack besides Paul had been the bonfire of a couple nights earlier, and I had walked away from that angry, after telling off the pack-leader's mate.

After a couple minutes Billy responded to my knock, opening the door. He smiled immediately, setting my nerves at ease. "Bella, Jacob's not here, but you can come on in."

He rolled backwards and I followed him into the house. My smile faded away as I looked around. "What happened in here?"

"Huh?" Billy followed my gaze. "Oh, nothing. Jake and I just aren't the best housekeepers lately. Especially with him running the extra patrols, trying to catch that leech after you."

I nodded, surveying the damage to the house. There were dirty clothes and dishes everywhere. The clothes surprised me. I didn't think Jake even wore shirts anymore, but proof to the contrary was on the floor before me. Guilt welled up in me. If I hadn't been such a danger magnet then Jake wouldn't be pulled out on patrols so much and this mess wouldn't exist, at least not to the extent I was witnessing. It looked like a natural disaster had hit the house.

I set my purse down on the entryway table. "I'll take care of it."

Billy frowned. "Now that's not necessary. You're here to visit, not clean."

I shook my head, already bending forward to grab a stray sock behind the couch. "No. He's out there risking his life for me, wearing himself out for me. I can wash a couple loads of laundry and some dishes. It's the least I can do."

"Bella, it's who they are. They are the protectors. This really isn't necessary."

I walked around him to grab the jean shorts flung across the end table. Really Jake?

"And this is who I am. Just try to stop me."

* * *

><p>The Black's house was disgusting. It would take me all day to make it presentable. Another to make it livable. The state of their bathroom was just unspeakable. It was a good thing I was on spring break.<p>

Paul found me around lunch time. I had my arms elbow deep in a sink full of dishwater, looking for the last few pieces of silverware when he came through the back door. He looked around the room with a scowl before turning his glare to me.

"Feeling domestic today?"

His sudden appearance scared me half to death. I whipped my hands out of the water, sending an arch of water a few feet into the air. It splashed onto the floor between Paul and me. I slammed wet hands on my hips. "What's your problem?"

He glared around the room. "You're playing Susie Housewife for Jake of all people and you're asking me what my problem is? I had no clue where you were. You didn't answer your phone and I had to come looking for you."

Shaking my head, I turned back to the dishes. "I'm sorry I worried you. I didn't hear my cell."

"And the cleaning act? What's that about?"

What was his problem? "It needed to be done. He's patrolling right now and the house was a wreck so I decided to help."

"How sweet." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

I finished scrubbing the forks and rinsed them and my hands. Then I turned to Paul. "Stop acting so jealous. I'd do the same for Embry or Quil if I walked into their houses and saw them in such bad shape."

"Yeah, but you didn't show up at their houses, did you?"

I shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. "I didn't know them well enough to just show up at their front door, alone. I didn't have anywhere else to go."

His arms crossed. "Nowhere else to go? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

The words were spoken in an angry tone. His expression was fierce. But I didn't miss the spark of pain in his eyes. I stepped forward to lay a hand on his crossed arms.

"You were exhausted, Paul. I wanted you to sleep as long as possible. If I went to your house you'd wake up."

His eyes searched mine for a long time before he finally lowered his arms. "This place was a pit. You've done a lot."

I nodded, stepping back. "I still need to clean the bathroom. It's horrendous. I wouldn't pee in there, much less shower."

Paul growled. "No way in hell you're ever showering here."

I rolled my eyes. He'd missed the whole point of what I was saying. "Why don't you watch TV while I go back to cleaning?"

"Or, we can let Jake clean up his own fucking mess and we can go hang out together."

"What'd you have in mind?" Paul wouldn't let the subject die until I was out of the house.

He shrugged. "Don't know. But anything's better than scrubbing toilets."

I had to agree with him there. Besides, he'd be on patrol until noon the next day. I could always show up and clean the bathroom first thing and be back at Paul's to shower before he got home.

"You eaten yet?"

I dried my hands as I shook my head. Come to think of it, I hadn't really eaten breakfast either. After waking up alone in the bed I'd rolled around in restlessly all night I hadn't had much of an appetite for breakfast. Once I started thinking about it my stomach twisted furiously with hunger pangs.

"Come on. We'll go to the diner. Then maybe the beach?"

"Sure."

I headed toward the living room to retrieve my purse. I waved at Billy as we passed him. He'd apparently been in there the whole time watching our whole conversation. I cringed internally. There were way too many father figures in my life. And they all had that ability to just look at me and make me feel like I was behaving like a five year old.

"Hey, Billy. Um…So, your dishes are done, and your laundry too."

His eyes flicked to Paul quickly, then back to me. "Thank you. I appreciate you helping an old man out. I was having trouble keeping up."

Paul snorted behind me. He wasn't fooled by Billy's attempt to salvage the situation at all. I sent him a smile anyway. "Maybe I'll stop by again sometime when we can sit down and chat for awhile."

Billy's smile widened. "I'd like that."

I nodded. "Me too."

And I would. The offer had been spontaneous, made without any thought at all. But after thinking about it, I really should spend some time with Billy. He probably had some insight into the imprint bond. I had been flying blind for too long. It was about time I got a little advice.

"Let's get you that lunch. I can hear your stomach trying to eat your spine," Paul grumbled.

With one last smile toward Billy, I led us toward the door. The knob twisted as I reached for it and Jake walked in, sans shirt.

He paused as he took in the two unexpected visitors. "Hey, guys."

I gave him a small smile, tightly gripping the purse strap over my shoulder. His timing really sucked. "Hi. And bye."

"Oh. Um, you don't have to run off so quick. Did you need something?"

Paul moved up beside me, slipping a warm hand onto the small of my back. "Jake."

"Paul," my friend returned the terse greeting. Then he turned his attention back to me. "Did you need something, Bells?"

"No, I just stopped by to repay you for all the help you've given me over the past few months. Dishes are done, living room is clean, and your laundry is clean and folded on your bed."

Paul's hand convulsed, suddenly clenching my shirt. At the same time a low growl erupted from his throat. He turned to me with an angry look. "You did his fucking laundry? You were in his room?"

I sighed. "It's not like he was here. I didn't dig through his drawers or anything. I just dropped the clothes off and walked out. And I had to do the laundry, it was all over the house." I turned back to Jake. "And you should be ashamed of yourself! Dirty clothes all over the living room? I even found a pair of shorts on top of the refrigerator. What is _wrong_ with you?"

He shrugged.

"I did as much as I could in the limited time I had," I began, intending to explain that I would be over the next morning to finish up a few things.

Paul butted in. "She did more than she should have. You're supposed to be our great leader in training. Try acting like a responsible adult for once and clean up your own mess. If I find out she comes over here and has stepped one foot into that bathroom with a toilet brush in hand I'm taking a few chunks out of your hide."

Then Paul led me past Jacob and out of the house. He was shaking slightly from his anger. I kept my mouth shut, figuring I could only feed his anger at the moment. I didn't see anything wrong with my actions. Jake was a friend and he needed the help. All of the guys were so busy none of them probably had much time for cleaning. It wasn't like he had a Mom around to clean house and Billy didn't have the mobility of most. They needed a little extra help. Although I could admit to myself that our friendship made me biased toward him.

Paul was being a bit unreasonable though. Like a jealous boyfriend. It's not like he needed me to clean his house. His house was always spotless. I wasn't sure how it stayed that way between his father and him, because I never saw either of them cleaning. But I'd never seen it cluttered like the Black household. Paul didn't need me to clean for him. So what was his problem?

I had really thought he was over the whole possessive thing from the beginning when he didn't want anyone to even touch me.

"You getting in or should I just chunk you in the back?"

I blinked. We were standing at the driver's side of my truck. There was no telling how long we'd been there before Paul lost his patience. Probably not long. He didn't have much to lose.

I opened the door and hopped in behind the door. He snorted. "Not a fucking chance. You just stared at the door for five minutes in a daze. We'd die if I let you drive."

Then he reached in, pressed one hand against my hip and one against the outside of my thigh and gently shoved me across the seat to the middle. He climbed in, started up the truck and pulled out of the driveway. The drive to the diner was quiet. He was still too angry to talk and I didn't feel like getting into an argument.

I forgot all about the argument when we walked into the diner though.

"Bella!" An entire table called out. Well, most of the table. Lauren didn't greet me and Jessica barely mouthed my name. Her smile was far from genuine too.

Oh goody. A table full of Forks.

"Want to sit with your friends?"

The offer surprised me, especially after his little anger-fest over the whole Black house cleaning incident. But one glance at his face assured me the offer was sincere.

"They aren't all friendly," I replied quietly, eyeing the group warily.

He grunted.

I waved with a fake smile, then turned and walked to an empty booth on the opposite side of the diner. Paul slid in across from me with a grin on his face.

"You should have seen the surprise on their faces when you turned and walked away from them all."

I felt a smile pulling the corners of my lips up.

Paul made me order a huge lunch of chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes and a couple of sides. He even made me drink a milk shake with it. He said I needed the calories. I couldn't argue with him though. Even after gaining back some of my weight my skinniest clothes were threatening to fall off of me.

He had me laughing uncontrollably about something idiotic Quil had done when a throat was cleared next to our table. I glanced up to see Lauren standing there, hands on hips, sticking her chest out. I rolled my eyes toward Paul. Oh please. She was going to try to steal him from me. The thought made me laugh even harder.

"Since Bella is being so rude, I'll introduce myself. I'm Lauren." She held her hand out for him.

Paul looked at it for a second before turning back to me. "Isn't Lauren the name of that bitch you were talking about?"

Curious where he was going with this, I nodded slowly.

He grunted once, then launched back into his Quil story.

Lauren's face flashed red with anger. I tried to keep my eyes on Paul but I was too fascinated as I watched her standing there fuming, trying to come up with a way to handle the hot guy insulting her while ignoring her at the same time.

Apparently she couldn't come up with anything because she gave a little hmph noise then turned and stomped away. I busted out laughing again. I laughed so hard I had to use a napkin to wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes. When I glanced up Paul was watching me with the widest smile I'd ever seen on his face.

I smiled in return. "I'm going to pay for that in school, but it was so worth it."

He frowned a bit. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged. "Just rumors and nasty comments. Nothing I haven't heard before. I'll be fine. Thank you for that though. Every other guy would have been staring at her cleavage."

Paul leaned forward, an intense look on his face. "Don't you get it yet? It's like I'm looking at those store mannequins when I look at other girls. No face, no personality. Just…nothing there. Half the time I barely hear what they're saying. You're it. You're the only girl I see. The only girl I'll _ever_ see."

He leaned back. "Your milkshake is melting. And your gravy is getting cold. Eat. You're wasting away to nothing. You're gonna look like Skeletor soon and that shit's not funny."

"Listen to the sweet words. You're like a poet," I replied, stabbing the chicken fried steak with my fork.

Paul smiled at me, apparently unconcerned with the bite in my tone. "So, still want to hit the beach or would you rather go to a movie after you finish mangling that?"

I chewed quicker, eager to swallow the bite down, nodding as I worked my jaw. Finally the food was cleared from my mouth and I could speak. "There's a new comedy opening today. Or that blockbuster blow-em up movie that everyone's talking about."

He raised an eyebrow. "What, you don't want to watch a romance? Two hours of sappy lines and kissing? With maybe two minutes of a pathetic attempt at a sex scene thrown in for the guys?"

I mimed gagging myself with the fork. Paul frowned and yanked the implement away from me immediately.

"Stop it."

"You're joking, right? You think I'm going to hurt myself with a fork? I'm eighteen years old, Paul. I have a little practice with them. You want my knife too? In case I accidentally poke my eye out with it? Should I just eat with spoons from now on?"

He leaned back, his expression transforming into patient amusement while I continued my mini-rant. He waited a full minute after I had stopped talking before he opened his mouth. "I think a spork would work better than a spoon."

"You should have taken the knife too. I'm going to stab you with it."

His reply was a burst of laughter that filled the diner.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I have completely failed at replying to reviews. I know I suck. Please know that I read them all and love hearing from you all. Just been an amazingly hard week. Real life has kicked my ass this week. Enough of my drama though. Hope you enjoyed. <strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I am not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

It didn't hit me until six thirty the next morning. Paul had climbed out of my window forty minutes earlier to start his shift of running around La Push and I hadn't been able to go back to sleep. But I'd been too lazy to get up to start the day. So I laid there, thinking, mostly about the day before.

The day had ended well. We drove into Port Angeles for a movie and ended up watching two. The first was the newest action flick full of gratuitous violence and language. The second was a raunchy comedy. Charlie would have been appalled.

My mind wasn't very concerned with that part of the day. It kept spinning over the part where Paul and I were standing in the Black's kitchen. I could still see his accusing, hurt eyes glaring at me every time I tried to close my eyes to drift back into sleep.

It was Spring Break. I shouldn't be lying awake at six thirty in the morning fretting over the status of my relationship with my mate. That thought was so ludicrous a half-sob half-laugh burst from my throat. Humans didn't have mates. They had partners, spouses, girlfriends or boyfriends. Not that Paul would fall into any of those categories if we were normal people. He might be a friend, maybe even my best friend. But surely nothing more. Right?

I rolled over to stare at the window he had disappeared through. He had been so angry only because he was covering up his hurt. The thought gnawed at me. His words from the kitchen confrontation were playing on repeat in my head.

Suddenly, I sat up in bed. I was so stupid. So incredibly stupid. Paul had walked in on me taking care of Jake, like Jake meant more to me than he did. It didn't matter that I didn't mean anything by it. What mattered was how Paul saw it. And he saw me playing the role of a wife with Jake as the husband. He'd said so himself when he accused me of playing Susie Housewife with Jake.

I should have known better. Jake's house was the worst possible place for me to have gone. Paul was going to be sensitive about any perceived favoritism I showed toward Jake. And I had gone over and cleaned his house, while ignoring Paul's phone calls and not telling him where I was. At least, that's how it appeared to Paul. It didn't matter that I had gone over there instead of going to Paul's in an attempt to give my mate more time to rest. It didn't matter that I honestly hadn't heard my phone gone off and of course would have answered it if I had.

I should have gone to Paul's. His house had always been clean when I visited. Between the two of them, Paul and his father seemed to have a handle on the household chores. But that wasn't the point, was it? If I was going to be taking care of any of the wolf pack, if I was going to be cleaning any house just for the hell of it, it should be that house. Whether the house needed it or not. Paul needed it.

And maybe he really did need the help, with the heavier patrol schedules since Victoria had decided to eat me. If I stopped to think about it, he had no free time to clean now. If he wasn't in school or fulfilling his pack duties, he was with me. When did he even do his homework?

I jumped out of bed. I needed to get dressed and get over to his house. I needed to clean it. I'd clean that thing from top to bottom. That place would be so clean they'd be able to hold a dinner party in their bathroom once I was finished.

I was in the process of pulling my shirt off to turn it right side out and put it back on when I thought to ask myself why it mattered so much to me. Why was I so frantic to make this up to Paul? Since when did I care so much?

I sat slowly on the edge of the bed. Just how deeply had the imprint gotten its hooks into me? This was seriously disturbing how unhinged I was at just the thought of Paul being upset. I had known about the physical connection, that we needed daily interaction and proximity to function. But now we needed to actually get along? Would we have to have a meaningful, romantic relationship soon?

My shoulders tensed as the idea took root. We were drawing closer to the point in time when I had to face the romance issue. The way this was progressing, I doubted I really had the choice everyone insisted that I had. The imprint was exerting a slow, steady pressure, pushing me ever closer to Paul.

_Would that be so bad_ a traitorous little voice whispered inside me. I stifled it quickly. Listening to voices in my head had never gotten me anywhere good.

I sat there on the edge of my bed trying to reason a way out of the mess I was in. But like the countless other times I had tried, I came up with nothing. I couldn't move away. The fantastic two weeks of my grounding had proven that. Unless I was ready to waste away to nothing and then die, I had to stay right where I was. But if I stayed, the imprint would only worm its way deeper and I would need and want Paul that much more. And I knew that I was the only one changing. Paul had been rock steady since day one. He knew what he wanted and he was ready for it. Me. He wanted me. Any and all of me that he could get.

Eventually I glanced at the clock to see that I had been sitting there in just my jeans and bra for half an hour. Obviously my inner debate was getting me nowhere. I pulled my shirt on, this time the right way out. Then I headed downstairs for breakfast. To my surprise Charlie was still at the table.

"Hey, Kid."

"Morning," I replied as I poured my cereal.

We were silent as we ate, thankfully. I didn't have much I could safely discuss with him anymore. Most of my life revolved around subjects that were off limits for my father. He wouldn't believe me if I told him anyway. But hey, then I could stop worrying about being shipped off to Florida. He'd find a nice padded room instead.

"Big day planned?"

I shrugged. "Going to La Push. Paul's house."

Charlie nodded slowly. "Billy says you two had a dust-up in his kitchen yesterday."

The rat fink.

"Just a misunderstanding."

"That why he hasn't been around much lately?"

I frowned, thinking about it. Paul hadn't been to the house very much since I'd been released from my grounding, not where Charlie could see him at least. Granted, it had only been a few days and he'd been on patrol at least one of those afternoons. But still, that was odd for him.

"I think maybe you scared him. He's probably laying low around you."

Charlie grinned, entirely too please with himself.

I frowned at him, my gut instinct was to defend Paul against Charlie's unfair treatment. I shoved a spoonful of cereal into my mouth instead and thought as I chewed. Regardless of the way they teamed up together against me, Charlie didn't like Paul. He didn't like Paul's past, their past together in that squad car. He was doing what any father would do in his position. He'd arrested the guy countless times and from his vantage, we were far too close. He thought we were in love.

Dropping my spoon and my eyes, I spoke hesitantly. "So, um, can I ask you a weird question?"

"How weird?" He shifted nervously. "I don't need to take you to one of those family planning clinics do I?"  
>Why did he always go there first?<p>

"No. Nothing like that. Just…why do you keep saying Paul and I are in love? We're just friends."

Charlie snorted. "Nice try, Bells."

I shot my eyes up to his in surprise. What did he mean by that? Did he really think I was trying to pull one over on him?

He shook his head at me. "It's like watching you and that Cullen bastard all over again. The way you two move around each other is freaky as hell. Like a planet revolving around the sun. Except this time you're the Sun and he's the planet. I think that boy'd die for you. Which, okay, gives him some points in my book." A small grin had built up on his lips on that last sentence but it slid off suddenly as Charlie met my eyes with a grim look. "But that doesn't mean I'm okay with him putting his hands on my little girl."

I grimaced. "We are not having sex. How many times do I have to tell you that? Besides, even if Paul was interested in me, that doesn't mean I return the interest."

Charlie snorted, raising his coffee mug to his lips. "I'm not blind."

I gave a little scream of frustration, raising my hands a couple inches off the table. "Why do you keep saying that?"

He grunted and rose from the table. "I'm headed to work. Don't get knocked up at your boyfriend's house."

* * *

><p>I grumbled all the way to La Push. Charlie was losing it. The stress of his job was getting to him. It was those "bear" sightings. The stress of looking for things that he would never find was making him see things that weren't really there at home now. Hallucinations during times of extreme stress must run in the family. That explained everything.<p>

When I parked in Paul's driveway, I didn't get out of the truck immediately. There was a gray sedan parked next to my truck. Paul's dad was still home. Was I really prepared to deal with another father so early in the morning? Especially yet another father who believed I was sleeping with Paul?

But would it be any better for him to emerge from the house to find me sitting out in the driveway like some kind of inept stalker? Scowling, I popped the door open, grabbed my bag of supplies and headed for the door. I had a key to the house, but since Paul's father was home I rang the doorbell. I didn't want to walk in on the man in his underwear, or less. And it was just disrespectful to walk into the man's house. Besides, I wasn't sure if he knew I had a key. He might think I was an intruder and shoot me.

He looked surprised to see me when he opened the door. "Bella…Paul's not in. He had to do some work for the council."

I nodded, yet again unsure how much the man knew about Paul's "work" for the council. "Yeah. Is it okay if I hang around here and wait for him to come home?"

The man studied me for a long moment. I could see the gears shifting in his head as he considered my question. I didn't blame him for his hesitancy. We didn't really know each other after all. Truth be told, if he hadn't looked like he was dressed to leave for work, I would have turned around and left. I didn't know him well enough to stay in the house with him alone either.

"I was about to leave for work, but I suppose you can wait for him. These things seem to take quite awhile."

I nodded, stepping past him as he moved back to allow me entry. "I'll be in his room."

"Did you need breakfast?" He called after me.

"No thank you, I already ate."

I shut myself in his room, giving a little sigh of relief before turning around. The room wasn't nearly as neat as it had been during my previous visits. There were dirty clothes tossed all over the place. The closer I looked though, I realized that was the only thing out of place. It was almost like he came into the room to change clothes and then left again.

I looked around the room with a critical eye. The bed was made perfectly, except for a few wrinkles at the edges. Maybe where he had sat down? A couple of his dresser drawers were sticking out slightly. I walked over to see that one held his underwear and socks. Closing it revealed the other drawer half full of the cut-off shorts that he favored.

It took less than a minute to gather all of the dirty clothes. But then I had to find the washing machine. I wandered out into the house, my hands full. Paul's father glanced up from the kitchen table, jumping up when he saw what I was about.

"Would you mind pointing out the washing machine?"

"That's really not necessary," Mr. Lahote started, trying to take the clothes from me.

I shifted my body, avoiding his hands easily. "I don't mind. I have to do something while I'm here. It's not like I'm hand-washing them. I'm just throwing them in the machine."

He grinned at me before leading me to the laundry room just off the kitchen. The machines were probably older than me. They were both avocado green, but when I put the detergent in and loaded it the old machine started right up.

When I walked out of the laundry room, Mr. Lahote was standing by the front door. He gave me a small uncomfortable wave. "Well, I'm heading to work. There's food in the fridge if you get hungry. Make yourself at home I guess."

He opened the door and stepped out. Then he turned back with a serious face. "Why don't you lock up behind me too? I don't feel very comfortable leaving you here alone."

I smiled as I walked toward the door. "Sure."

It was nice to see that Paul had come by some of his protective attitude honestly. It wasn't all from the wolf in him, or even the imprint. As soon as I locked the door I turned to survey the rest of the house. The disarray wasn't as obvious as the collection of dirty clothes in Paul's room, or the disaster of the Black residence, but it was there. No one had dusted in weeks. It didn't appear that anyone ate in the living room regularly because there weren't any dirty dishes, but there was a small collection of empty glasses and beer bottles on the end tables.

I spent the first hour cleaning the living room and kitchen top to bottom. I even searched through the house until I found the mop and vacuum cleaner. Then I remembered the laundry and went to switch it over. Once that was finished I went back to Paul's room to give it a deep cleaning. Even if he didn't spend any quality time there, I wanted the room to be clean while he was there.

By the time Paul arrived home I had put away his clean clothes in his pristine room. I had even scrubbed the main bathroom. I hadn't stepped foot in his father's room, because that would have been incredibly weird. But the rest of the house, including the hall closet, looked like it was ready to show to prospective buyers. I'd gotten a lot done in a few hours, probably because the house had been in much better shape when I started than the Black house.

He walked in as I was making myself a sandwich. He seemed surprised to see me, even though he had to have known I was there. My truck was out front and we had that freaky imprint proximity alarm that buzzed anytime we were close. So his surprise must have had to do more with the fact that I was there at all.

He walked over to lean against the counter next to me. I automatically started assembling two more sandwiches. "So, what are you doing here?"

I shrugged. "Where else should I have gone? Did you want to have to hunt me down again? Maybe I should have gone to Embry's today."

He growled.

I handed him an over-stuffed sandwich. "Here, sounds like your hunger is making you cranky."

He turned to look around as he bit into my offering. "You've been busy."

I nodded wordlessly. I was too busy stuffing food into my own mouth to answer him. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I finally stopped moving.

A smile tilted his lips. "Looks good in here."

I shrugged.

"No, it looks really good in here."

I concentrated on my food as heat filled my cheeks. It was just a little vacuuming and dusting. He didn't need to praise my efforts so highly.

"Shit, did you scrub the baseboards? Who does that?"

I shrugged. "They were dirty."

He shook his head. "I bet you did the windows too."

I refused to meet his eyes or respond; instead I shoved another bite into my mouth. The windows had been worse than the baseboards.

He laughed, suddenly throwing an arm around my shoulder to hug me to his side. Happiness flashed through me at the contact. It was the most intense emotion I had ever felt. As quickly as it had started it was gone, along with Paul's arm.

He stepped away from the counter, grabbing the second sandwich as he moved. "So, what are we doing this afternoon?"

I was still reeling from the tidal wave of emotion that had caught me by surprise. I shook my head a little to clear it then looked over at Paul, intending to answer him. Instead I found myself staring into concerned eyes.

"You okay, Bella?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes. "What'd you do? Wear yourself out?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Have you been starving yourself again? You're weak from hunger aren't you?" He covered the space back to the counter in one long, angry stride. He yanked two pieces of bread out and began to slam deli meat and vegetables onto them, griping the whole time. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you anorexic? Is that the problem? How many times do I have to tell you to fucking eat? Do I have to force feed you now? Set up a feeding schedule? Do I need to talk to Sam about arranging my schedule so I can be with you during every damn meal time?"

My mouth fell open but no words would come out. His accusations were so ludicrous I couldn't put together a rebuttal. He'd seen me eating for weeks now. And because my mouth was still hanging open when he finished clapping the two halves of sandwich together, that's where he shoved it instead of handing it politely to me.

I pulled it out of my mouth and finally spoke. "I've been eating!"

He leaned back to give himself enough room to scan my body head to toe with his eyes. "You look too skinny."

I tossed the food onto the counter, grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it just enough to show my stomach. "Look. No ribs showing. I'm just small by nature. And all that running is toning me up so I've lost what little fat I did have. Happy now?"

His eyes narrowed. Reaching forward he grabbed my waist at either side and twisted my body quickly to the side. Then he twisted it the other way, his analytical eyes moving over every exposed inch. After a long moment he released me, grabbing the sandwich from the counter.

He bit into the sandwich then started speaking with his full mouth. "Fine. TV okay for awhile? I'm beat."

We spent the rest of the day sprawled on his couch eating junk food and watching awful B horror movies. I hadn't laughed so hard in years, especially at the vampires and werewolves. I even decided to make dinner there. Mainly because I hadn't realized how late it was getting until Paul mentioned that his father would be home soon. I didn't really know his dad, so I thought a nice meal would go a long way toward easing some of the awkwardness I felt around the man. I was right. After filling him with garlic bread and lasagna the man was a lot easier to talk to. And he didn't raise an eyebrow when Paul and I both left for the night to go back to my house.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I am not responsible for Twilight.**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

As much as I hated shopping I had to waste half a day of my spring break in Port Angeles renewing my wardrobe. Paul insisted. After my little display in his kitchen he decided that his discomfort with my appearance had more to do with the way my clothes were falling off of me than with my actual size. I looked like I was drowning in my clothes, and therefore starving. He theorized that once my clothing fit, I would appear healthy once again.

And again, he was right. I hadn't really noticed that my clothing had become so shockingly large on me. The dark circles under my eyes and unhealthy toned skin were a thing of the past. Even my hair had a nice shine to it now. No one could focus on those things because my pants were baggy and my shirts were hanging loosely. They were only a size or two too large, but that extra fabric made all the difference in the world.

Once I was wearing tailored clothing, I looked good. Paul beamed at me in approval with each new outfit that I modeled. And unlike every shopping trip with Alice, I enjoyed this. Paul let me gravitate toward the styles that I liked. He didn't care what I chose, so long as it fit.

Then he took me to a bookstore. We wandered through for over an hour. I was able to replace several of my favorites that I had left back in Phoenix and I found a few new novels that looked interesting. Paul stared at all of the book titles like they were written in a foreign language, like they were vaguely confusing and fascinating at the same time.

I shuffled through my books, trying to decide which one I would read first, as he drove us back toward Forks. He chuckled lightly. "You really like to read, huh?"

I glanced up in surprise. "Yes. It's my favorite hobby."

His eyebrows rose. "Really?"

He was quiet for a few miles so I went back to reading the jacket covers.

"So, why haven't I seen you reading anything other than homework?"

I opened my mouth to answer but closed it again when I realized I wasn't sure what the answer was. Staring out at the lines of the road I thought hard. Why hadn't I been reading? Paul was right. Homework was the only thing I read since _they_ left. I hadn't picked up a single novel to read for pleasure. Had I done anything for pleasure?

No. Not really. Even when I was spending time with Jake, it wasn't really for fun. I was using him as a means to an end. To get that stupid bike fixed so I could ride it and have my moment of insanity.

Clarity hit me. For the first time, I was able to put a name it, to label what I had gone through when _he_ left. When Cullen left. I was able to vocalize it. "I guess I was too depressed."

"And you're not depressed now?" Paul asked quietly, gently, like he was afraid of spooking an untamed animal.

I turned to face him, a slow smile spreading across my face. "I don't think I am. I think…I think I can…I think I'm okay with Edward leaving."

I waited a second to see if the hole in my chest would flare up. I'd never been able to hear his name without the pain overwhelming me, much less think or say it. There was the briefest little hiccup of heartburn. But that might have been the chili-cheese dog I'd eaten for lunch. My smile widened as Paul darted his eyes from the road to me.

"You serious?" Paul asked hopefully.

I nodded slowly. "I think I am."

"That's fucking awesome, Bella." He said with a smile. "We need to celebrate."

Anxiety twisted my stomach. That or my lunch was fighting back. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

><p>"You're insane."<p>

I stared over the edge of the cliff. My heart was tripping over itself trying to jump out of my body to get away from the cliff. Paul's arm was wrapped securely around me, anchoring me to his side. I glanced up behind myself to see the rock ledge even higher above me. These idiots jumped from even higher up? And I had wanted Jake to take me up there? I _had_ been out of my mind.

"I've got you," Paul said with a chuckle. "You aren't going until we're both ready."

I looked back down. "I'm never going to be ready for that."

He laughed again. "Bella, it's a clear day, the sea is calm. I do this all the time. There's nothing to worry about. You'll love it. Trust me."

My heart calmed slightly with his last words. That was almost as scary as the view. Because I did trust him. He had me perched on the edge of a cliff and I trusted him to keep me safe. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"What exactly about this is so fun?"

"The adrenaline. Sends a rush through your whole body. It's like sex. You're really nervous the first time but afterwards you want to do it again."

"Yeah. That'd be a great analogy if I wasn't a virgin."

His body went still. Then intense eyes met mine. When he spoke his voice was lower, filled with the growl of his wolf. "Damn, that's hot. You're all mine."

I tore my gaze from his. Clearing my throat, I spoke with effort. That look he was sending me made me feel like I had a full body blush. "So…about this dangerous cliff diving."

"I wouldn't let you get hurt." He assured, his voice still low and gruff.

We had to get off the cliff, preferably before Paul decided to try to make out with me. He'd said before that that part of our relationship wouldn't start until we were ready, but he sure looked like he was willing to push it.

I wasn't ready for that though. I liked Paul. I really did. I was comfortable with him in a way I hadn't even been comfortable with Jake. But I wasn't ready to be his girlfriend. I didn't want to go to the next level yet. And why should we rush it? I would graduate soon and he would go to school for at least another year. Holy crow, I didn't even know what year he was in, just that he was sixteen.

His warm fingers curled tighter around my waist. "You ready?"

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. I could do this. It was like jumping off the highest diving board at the city pool. So what if I had always been too terrified to do that? This time I had someone to hold my hand as I jumped. Paul would make sure I didn't drown. Everything would be okay.

I nodded slowly. He squeezed one more time before sliding his arm from around my waist. He slid it around my back over to my hand. Gripping it tightly, he squeezed twice.

"On three…one…two…three."

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly as my feet pushed away from the ledge. Air rushed by my ears. My stomach leapt up, pushing a scream from my throat. Paul's warm fingers squeezed my hand tighter suddenly and then my feet were hitting the water. Then I was under water. I barely remembered to close my mouth in time.

My arm jerked as Paul began to haul me toward the surface. Blood pounded heavily in my ears drowning out every other sensation. I kicked hard and used my free hand to push against the water in an attempt to propel myself up, trying to follow the direction Paul was pulling me. He seemed to know which way was up, which was good because I had no idea.

And then our heads were breaking the surface. I gasped and wiped my hair from my eyes, bopping up and down with the light waves.

Paul turned to me with a wide grin. "See? Wasn't that fun?"

I shivered, eyeing the cliff we'd jumped from. He was crazy. "I think we can cross cliff diving off the list of acceptable celebratory activities from now on."

Paul frowned. "What? You didn't like that? Jake said you were some kind of adrenaline junkie."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What? Because I rode a motorcycle a few times I'm suddenly an adrenaline junkie? I was half out of my mind at the time. Besides, bikes go fast. That's fun. I just jumped off a freaking cliff. That's insane."

Paul chuckled. "Oh, is Bella scared of heights?"

I scowled and splashed him in the face with water. From there it devolved into a water fight that lasted half an hour. I was sore from treading water and laughing by the time we stumbled into shore. I collapsed onto the beach to stare up at the sky. Clouds were starting to roll in, threatening the unseasonably fine weather.

"Gonna rain soon." Paul murmured.

I shrugged. "Already wet."

"Yeah, but you'll get cold, then sick. Come on."

I groaned as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "I'm tired though."

He chuckled. "Tough shit. Charlie will skin my ass if I let you sleep at my place again. Gotta get you home so you can shower and change into some warm clothes."

I let him lead me to the truck and help me into the middle seat. But I didn't remember much more of the ride than him putting the truck into reverse and backing up. The next thing I knew I was nice and warm, cuddled against his chest, when Charlie's voice jolted me out of sleep.

"Wha?" I lifted my head from Paul's chest to find myself in his arms, bridal style, in my living room.

Charlie was standing across from us with a questioning look. As soon as Paul saw that I was awake he lowered me to the ground as he continued the explanation he was in the middle of giving my father. "…so I let her sleep and carried her in."

Charlie nodded at me. "Go take a warm shower, Bells. Paul, I'll give you a ride home since you drove her back in her truck."

I smiled at Paul. "Night Paul."

Paul could make it back to my room before Charlie made it home with my truck. Thankfully he was smart enough to eat dinner before he came back. It wasn't like he could head downstairs for a quick snack while Charlie was home. I had to stay downstairs for awhile for appearance sake, but still, I knew he was up there, in my bed. I could feel our bond buzzing from the proximity.

"That boy's grown up a lot in the past year or so. Usually doesn't happen till the early twenties at least," Charlie commented during a commercial break.

I lowered my book slowly. "Has he? I've only known him like this. He does seem pretty mature for his age."

Charlie sipped his beer. "I was surprised when he first showed up. Didn't think you'd go for the younger guy."

I finally dropped my book onto my lap, admitting to myself that this was going to be a full blown conversation. "He's Jake's age, and you didn't seem to have any issue with Jake. In fact, you and Billy were both shoving us together every chance you got. I'm surprised you didn't have an arranged marriage set up between us."

I narrowed my eyes. "Or is that the problem? Are you upset because he's not Jake?"

Charlie scowled back at me. "You know that's not it. This Paul guy has a rough past. He's been in the back of my cruiser a few too many times for me to just welcome him into the family like Jake. But if you're so interested in younger guys, then I guess Jake's a good kid to be interested in."

I stood up. "Jake and I are just friends, and that's all we'll ever be. Paul's past is over. How would you like it if people wouldn't let you live down your past? If all they ever saw was who you were as a teenager? I bet you weren't perfect either. How would you like it if the whole town judged me for the rest of my life by my ridiculous behavior when the Cullens left? Never mind my intelligence and quality of character before. No, only judge me by my asinine breakdown after."

Charlie sighed. "And you think Paul has changed?"

"I know he has. You know he has. How many times did you say you've picked him up recently?"

He looked away.

"He's working for his tribal council. You think they'd have an untrustworthy trouble maker working for them?"

"Sure. Community service."

I glared at him. "Jake works with him."

Charlie threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine. So he's a good kid now. He's rehabilitated."

I grabbed my book from the floor where it had fallen when I had jumped to my feet to defend Paul. I stared down at Charlie, shaking my head in disappointment. "Goodnight. I'm going to bed."

Paul was waiting for me on the bed in a reclining position, hands behind his head and a wide smile on his face. "What's up?"

I rolled my eyes. "Stop acting innocent. You heard the whole thing."

He scooted over so I could join him on the bed. "You defended me."

I opened my book, refusing to look at him. "He was being unreasonable and unfair. I would have reacted the same if he was treating anyone like that."

He chuckled quietly. "Sure you would have."

"Shut up and go to sleep. You have patrol first thing in the morning."

"Bossy, bossy," he teased. But he rolled onto his side, reached over me and flipped my light off, plunging my room into darkness.

"Hey," I protested quietly enough that Charlie wouldn't hear.

He chuckled. "You fell asleep before I could put the truck into drive. Don't tell me you aren't tired."

* * *

><p>My cell phone ringing jolted me out of sleep. Looking around I realized that I was alone in my bed and the sun was already up. How long ago had Paul left? Groggily I reached over for the phone.<p>

"Hello?"

"Get to La Push, now," Paul growled.

"What?"

"Get your ass here now!"

He disconnected, leaving me staring at the phone in confusion. What was that about?

Paul wouldn't have called me to order me around for no reason. At least not since he'd settled down after that first week or two. After a second or two of indecision I started moving toward the edge of the bed. I would get dressed and head to his house. Someone would tell me what was going on.

I was half-way to La Push when my cell rang again. This time Jacob's voice greeted me. "Where are you?"

His tone was filled more with worry than the anger I had woken up to. "I'm on my way. What's going on?"

"She's been toying with us all morning. We almost had her but she slipped away again. She's trying to get to you, Bells."

My heart skipped a beat. Victoria. Holy crow. I kept forgetting about her. I don't know why, but my brain just would not focus on the threat she posed to me. After a few days of worrying for my life I would shove the fear aside and go about my business. Eventually I always forgot that she was out there, hunting me down. Unfortunately she didn't seem to have that little memory problem.

"Embry was your guard today. He should be on your trail. Be safe."

Then the line was disconnected.

I threw the phone into my purse and immediately gripped the wheel with both hands. What was I going to do? She was never going to give up, not until one of us was dead. They couldn't catch her, or they would have already. Something had to give. We had to get help from an outside source before one of the wolves made a mistake and wound up dead. She was too crafty. She was playing with them. Wearing them down.

I was shaking by the time I crossed the border. After Jake's comment about Embry I had been able to catch glimpses of a large furry body through the trees and then as I drew closer to La Push more joined on either side of me. Still, I was drenched in fear. I couldn't think. I finally allowed myself to really think about the fact that a vengeful, heartless beast was after me. She would not stop. She had no mercy. There was no reasoning with her, no buying her off. I was a dead woman.

And what was worse, all the people around me would be collateral damage. My father, my friends. Maybe even the town of Forks. Who knew what kind of horrors Victoria would throw at us before she finally got me. Paul said she was coming at them sideways, learning their defenses. She was smart. I knew she liked to play with her food. She would hurt people before she got to me. I just knew it. She wanted me to suffer first. She was just playing with us. Otherwise she would have had me already.

The way she could get in close enough to tease the pack and then slip away, that was all a game. It spoke volumes. If she was that sneaky, she could have slipped into my room at any time and taken me while I was alone. She could have slipped into my school and gotten to me. None of the wolves were with me there, not while Paul was on patrol anyway. I was helpless there. She had to know that.

No. She wasn't stupid. She would hurt them all. She had to be planning to kill them all. I couldn't stand by and let it happen. I had to stop it somehow.

Embry walked out of the trees as I stepped from the truck. "You okay?"

I nodded mutely.

He studied my face. "Okay…" His voice was full of doubt. "Why don't you just stay in Paul's house? We've got to go help the others. They've got her pinned."

I watched him turn and lope back into the trees. Pinned. Right. She'd just slip through their hands again. And she'd know a little more about their fighting style. A little more about how to defend herself during her final assault, whatever it might be.

A yipping sound from the trees reminded me that I was supposed to be seeking shelter in Paul's house. Dutifully I unlocked the door and stepped inside. I was alone, so his father must have left for work already.

I only stayed long enough to ensure they were gone. Then I slipped out again and headed for the beach. I made my way to the diving cliffs, to stand at the edge of the highest one. The view was immensely different than it had been the day before.

The sky was overcast with dark gray, swirling clouds. The occasional sprinkle of rain would spit down on me. Peering down, the height seemed at least five times greater than it was from the shorter cliff, but it was only twice as high at most. Still, it was infinitely more dangerous, especially with the waves crashing at the foot of the cliffs. Where before the sea had appeared calm and peaceful, it had turned into a raging beast, ready to devoir me. But wasn't everything?

I was going to let this beast have me though. It was the best way. The pack was going to kill themselves trying to defend me. I wasn't worth it. If I could find the crazy vampire trying to get to me, I'd just turn myself over, but that would risk their lives too, if any were around to attempt a rescue. At least this way they were all distracted trying to deal with the greatest threat to me. The greatest threat they knew about anyway.

I stared at the whitecaps. It had been hard to jump the day before, with Paul's arm around me. And I had felt safe then. This seemed impossible. My legs felt like they were filled with cement, my feet like they were bolted to the ground. I hated the idea that I was leaving Paul behind. This was going to crush him. He would be so much worse than I had been when Edward left me. But Paul had a good support system. He could survive if he wanted to. And this was for the good of the pack. For the good of Charlie.

I couldn't have Victoria using Charlie against me. This was the only way to ensure all of them were safe. As soon as she learned that I was gone she would abandon her mission. She would be satisfied. Surely she wouldn't care that my death hadn't been at her hands as long as I was dead?

I closed my eyes, lifted one foot and held it out over the edge. Slowly, I leaned my weight toward that unsupported foot.

Heat wrapped around my waist and jerked me backward. I stumbled, scrambling my feet on the ground as whoever held me continued to walk backward swiftly. Then I was being spun around to face a very pissed off Paul.

"What the fuck, Swan! What the fuck were you doing!"

I opened my mouth. "I…I just…she's not going to stop…and…you're all going to get hurt.."

He growled and shook me. "So you were going to jump off a fucking cliff? Into storm waters? Are you insane?"

I shook my head. "I had to save you all. I had to save Charlie."

"By killing yourself?" His eyes blazed. "That's what you think we need? Another death today?"

I gasped. "Who…who did she get?"

He shook his head. "Thanks for the confidence, Babe. But she didn't touch us. Harry Clearwater had a heart attack."

I covered my mouth. Charlie would be devastated. Harry was one of his closest friends. Paul grabbed my arm and turned, roughly pulling me along as he stormed down the path toward his house.

"Come on. We've got to get you into dry clothes and presentable. Your father probably needs you right now. He sure as shit doesn't need to be planning two funerals."

I let him shove me into the passenger side of the truck. It hurt that he didn't want me in the middle seat next to him. I glanced at him as he drove toward my house. His hands were gripping the steering wheel with a white-knuckle grip. He was glaring at the road like it had insulted his mother.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"I don't want to hear it," he ground out. "Do you have no faith in us at all? Do you think we're just a bunch of kids running around playing at this? This is what we do, Bella. This is who we are. We've killed these things before and we will again. So this one is a little smarter than most. We'll get her eventually. We do not need to have our focus divided because we have to watch you to make sure you aren't running off to pull juvenile stunts in a misguided attempt to save the day. Just…just shut up."

Paul pulled up to my house, shoved the truck into park and yanked the keys out of the ignition. Then he turned to face me. "You tried to kill yourself, Bella."

I nodded miserably at the accusation.

He scowled at me. Then his hands moved so fast I couldn't see them. I was pulled across the truck and into his chest before I knew what was happening. He had me pressed up against his chest so tightly I couldn't move my head. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his torso, which turned out to be a good decision because immediately some of the grief and anxiety I had been feeling started to drift away.

We sat like that in complete silence for several minutes. Finally, he spoke again, but he didn't move from the tight embrace. Instead, he directed the words into my hair.

"Do not ever do anything like that to me again. I could feel that there was something wrong, something endangering you. I knew I had to get to you quickly or you'd be lost to me forever. I was afraid she'd gotten you. She slipped away from us and jumped into the bay, Bella. And when I felt you out by the water, I just knew she was going to get to you first."

"I thought I could keep her away from Charlie and keep the pack safe," I whispered quietly.

He squeezed me tighter. "Stop trying to do my job, dammit. You want to keep Charlie safe, you move to the rez. She'll stop coming to Forks."

"What if she tries to use him to lure me away?"

Paul sighed. "Fine. We'll leave you with him for now. We've got a wolf with you all the time anyway."

"Even when I'm at school?" I asked hopefully.

I could feel his head nodding as his chin softly bumped against the top of my head. "Yeah. You're always protected."

"I've never noticed you guys there."

"Stealth isn't really something you're supposed to notice. Let's hope the bitch hasn't seen us either. Maybe we'll catch her by surprise one of these days."

We held each other for awhile longer, soaking in the mutual comfort provided. Eventually Paul pulled me into the house, forced me to change out of the damp clothes, and then fed me. We remained on the couch even after we finished our lunch. I cuddled into his side, trying to resist the temptation to close my eyes. I needed to go comfort Charlie. But I was just too comfortable nestled up against him to resist the weight pulling at my eyelids.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you everyone who is reading. And thanks to those who have reviewed. None of you have to do that in order for me to keep writing, but I sure do appreciate it. :)<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: I am not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I was pulled suddenly from my sleep as Paul hauled me to my feet, shoving me behind his quivering body. I had no idea what was going on. But he was tense, on the verge of shifting into a giant wolf right in front of me. What was he protecting me from?

Panic tore through me. She was here. Victoria had come.

"Bella! You're alive!"

It took me a moment to reconcile the voice with the conviction that Victoria was here and none of them would ever return. That voice could not be in my living room. Was I hallucinating again due to the extreme danger I was in? But then, why wasn't she giving me pointers to stay safe, like her brother had?

I peered around Paul's shoulders to find Alice standing in the doorway. She had apparently let herself in. Just how many people had a stolen copy of my house key?

"What are you doing here?" Paul's tone was far from welcoming.

Alice eyed him with disgust. "I saw her jumping off of a cliff this morning. I came to give my condolences to Charlie and to help him in any way I could." Her dark eyes swung back around to me. "How are you still alive? You were falling. I saw you. You were trying to kill yourself."

"I saved her," Paul growled out before I could respond.

Alice's perfectly manicured eyebrow popped up. "How nice. You've got a trained puppy."

I placed a soothing hand on Paul's back. He certainly didn't need her antagonizing tone. "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine."

She looked me over. "That's up for debate. You tried to kill yourself this morning. And that shade is all wrong for you."

"I made a mistake. It won't happen again."

Paul turned his head to send me a warning look. "It sure as hell won't."

I started running the hand on his back in little circles. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I just got a little ahead of myself trying to do the pack's job. From now on I'll let them take care of Victoria. I'll be a good girl."

Alice gasped. "Victoria? What do you mean Victoria?"

"Does that really surprise you?" Paul accused. "Your family waved Bella under her nose like a damn treat. Then you just walked away leaving her defenseless while a fucking vampire had a grudge against you all for the death of her mate. What the fuck is wrong with you? Or was it all part of your sick plan? Were you all hoping the bitch would tie up your little loose end?"

Her mouth formed an 'o' for a moment. I wished I'd had a camera ready. Alice was never taken by surprise, never speechless. She snapped her jaw closed with a glare. "Well, now that we know about it, you can bet your fury ass we'll take care of it."

"Not a chance in hell. We don't want you anywhere near Forks or Bella."

My hands clenched involuntarily. Slowly, I released my grip on his shirt. Why should I care if Paul was banning the Cullens? I didn't want to see them again, did I? Well. Maybe Emmett. He never did anything to hurt me. And Jasper. Sure, he tried to eat me, but that was purely by accident. I was a little miffed at Carlisle and Esme for allowing Edward to talk his whole family into abandoning me. And I could go the rest of my life without running into Rosalie again. I wasn't sure how I felt about Edward. On one hand, I wanted to show him that I was okay now, that he had been right. I did find someone else, someone I could have a relatively normal life with. On the other, I was a little afraid of what I would do if I saw him, scared of the person I might become.

Would I revert back into the shadow of Bella I had become around him? Would I fall into depression again? Or deeper depression, let's not forget that I had tried to jump off a cliff just that morning. Would my chest be consumed in the black hole of pain again? It was a scary proposition.

"Maybe you should let Bella decide," Alice stated with an air of triumph.

I studied her nervously. Was she really so confident? Did she already know that I would decide they could come back? Had she seen it? Or was she betting on my previous unhealthy dependency on the family?

Paul turned his head slightly so he could see me from the corner of his eye. "Babe? You wanna let them back in after all we've been through trying to recover?"

He had a point. He had to go through this with me. Paul would be affected by their return, as well as the pack. The pack might even continue to grow because of it. Could I do that to them?

I turned back to Alice. She smiled brightly at me, sure that I was going to invite her whole family back into my life again. "I have to talk this over with Paul and with the rest of the pack. Alice, we'll let you know our decision tomorrow."

She seemed genuinely surprised, and hurt, by my words. I hardened my heart to the expression. "Now if you'll excuse us?"

"Yes, of course. It's good to see that you're still alive, Bella. If you decide you don't want us to come back, please…don't do anything so reckless again. You promised him."

I narrowed my eyes at her as Paul stiffened. "I'm well aware of the entire conversation from that afternoon, Alice. Goodbye."

She nodded in understanding before turning to walk out the door.

I collapsed against Paul. He wrapped an arm around me and ushered me to the couch, where he pulled me onto his lap and held me close.

"You handled that well."

I laughed weakly. "Did I?"

"Hell yeah. You didn't give her an inch. Even when she fought dirty there at the end, bringing that douchebag into this, you stayed strong. I'm proud of you."

"Do you think I did the right thing?"

"What? Of course! No way in hell you should have caved and let them walk right back in."

I shook my head. "I don't want them here, but we might need them. They know how she thinks, how she moves. They might be able to anticipate her attacks. And Alice _is _a psychic. With their help it shouldn't be long before Victoria is history."

Paul grunted.

"But it will put a lot of undue stress on the pack. And it might lead to more boys phasing."

Paul nodded. "We had two more join today. Probably sensed her heading toward town. Seth and Leah Clearwater."

I gasped. "Leah? I didn't know girls could phase."

Paul chuckled bitterly. "Neither did we. One hell of a nasty surprise for Sam. Shit's gonna be ugly between them. And the rest of us get a front row seat."

"Poor Emily is stuck in the middle. She never asked to betray her cousin. She just looked at the wrong guy."

Paul squeezed me softly. "She looked at the right guy. Leah and Sam were wrong together and unfortunately all of them had to be hurt in the end to fix it."

"Yeah, I guess."

Paul nudged me toward my feet. "Come on. We need to go tell Sam what's going on, get his take on it. Then what do you say to stopping by the Clearwater's? Maybe helping with dinner? Sue would appreciate it and I know your father is there. I'm sure he would like to see you right now."

I headed toward the kitchen, intent on gathering supplies to provide Sue with an easy dinner. My steps faltered halfway toward the kitchen entryway as the phone rang. Paul's hand darted out to grab the receiver on the end table beside the couch. "Yeah."

Whoever responded had him sitting up with a quick glance in my direction. "Who's asking?"

After a pause, "No I won't just tell you. You could be a fucking pyscho intent on taking the Chief out."

He was on his feet, pacing and growling in the next instant. I backed up against the wall with a start. Even on that first day, Paul hadn't looked this aggressive, this angry. Not even moments earlier when Alice had surprised us.

"Motherfucker, what the fuck do you think you're doing calling here?" His brows drew together as his eyes darkened. He darted a look toward me again. I tried to give him a questioning look but he turned away from me without giving me any indication of what was going on.

"He's at the Clearwater's. Sue needs the help right now, planning her husband's funeral." His shoulders tensed for a moment then slumped. His voice was low and gravely. "She's here. She's fine."

He pulled the phone away from his ear, hit the off button with his thumb and turned back to me. "Well? We going or not?"

What I really wanted to do was interrogate him until he explained what that telephone conversation had been about. But I knew better. If Paul had wanted me to know, he would have told me immediately. Besides, he was still upset and pacing the room.

Instead, I quickly gathered the ingredients for chicken and rice casserole and threw it all in a bag. Then I meekly followed Paul out to the truck. What were we going to tell Sam about the Cullens? What would he do about them? Would he insist we allow them to come back? Could I handle that?

Sam's cottage appeared too quickly. I wasn't ready. I couldn't face this yet. I didn't know what I was going to say. I didn't have a plan. But that didn't matter because Paul was dragging me up to the porch before I even realized I was out of the truck. Then we were in the house.

Sam looked up from the kitchen table. Deep lines of grief and weariness were etched into his face, making him look like he had aged years since the last time I had seen him.

"We have something you need to hear," Paul stated grimly.

Sam stared at Paul for a long moment. "If you tell me you knocked up Chief Swan's daughter I swear I'm going to neuter you, Paul."

Paul snorted in response. Then he led me to a chair and pushed me down into it, his warm hands exerting steady pressure on my shoulders until I gave in and sat.

He took the seat next to me. I waited for him to say something, to explain the predicament we were in. Sam's hard eyes swiveled from Paul to me, back and forth. Slowly they widened.

"Fuck. You did."

"I'm not pregnant," I snapped. "The Cullens want to come back."

Sam's mouth snapped shut over whatever he was going to say in response to my revelation that Paul had not, indeed, knocked me up. He looked at Paul quickly, gauging his reaction to my words before turning back to me. He studied my face closely.

"Is that so?"

I leaned back, crossing my arms. "Alice came to my house today." My mind spun quickly as I struggled with just how much I should tell Sam. I didn't want the whole pack to know about the cliff episode. "She wants to help with Victoria. She thinks if the pack and the family worked together we might be able to catch her."

"And after? What will they do then?"

I shrugged. "I don't care what they do."

His eyes narrowed, like he wasn't sure he believed me.

I looked away. "I don't know if this is a good idea, Sam. It will affect your pack. It might lead to more boys phasing."

He made a small noise of agreement. I glanced up to see him staring out the window, apparently in deep thought. Paul grabbed my hand and stood.

"We'll let you consider this. I think it should be something the whole pack has a vote on though, since we'll all be affected. We're going to the Clearwater's to help Sue."

We were almost to the door when Sam called out. "Bella, what if Edward wants you back? What will you do?"

Paul stiffened beside me.

Anger coursed through me. How dare Sam ask me something like that right in front of Paul? Couldn't he see how much his words hurt his pack brother? Slowly, I pivoted to face the man. Speaking calmly but confidently I stated, "He can kiss my ass."

Paul yanked the door open and pulled me outside, shutting the door quickly behind us. Then he pulled me to the truck and hoisted me inside. He stood outside for a moment, looking at me seriously.

"Cullen's lips touch your ass and I'm gonna rip them off his cold dead face."

* * *

><p>The grief and shock were palpable in the Clearwater household. It tried to suck all of the life out of me as soon as I walked in the door. Paul's hand gripped my shoulder and squeezed, then pressed me forward toward the kitchen. I needed that reminder to get my feet moving. I was there for a reason. I could not stand in the doorway staring at the grief stricken widow.<p>

Charlie followed us out of the room.

"What are you doing here, Bella?"

I began emptying the paper sack, pulling out rice and cream of mushroom soup. "I'm making dinner. Then I'm going to clean. Sue will have a lot of visitors over the next few days. She doesn't need to worry about trivial things like vacuuming. You take her out to the back porch."

Charlie stared at me for a long moment. Paul smiled at me, pride filling his eyes. I ducked my head, using the excuse of peering down into the sack to get away from their attention.

Charlie finally clapped me on the back. "Proud of you, Bells."

My lips tilted up as I pulled the casserole dish out of the bag. "It'll be awhile before dinner is ready."

As soon as I knew Charlie had Sue out of the living room, I glanced over at Paul. "Hey, check under the sink for dusting supplies. If they aren't there, look over the laundry machines."

Paul gave me a confused look but moved to obey. A minute later he appeared next to me with a can of spray polish and a rag. I smiled at him as I poured the can of soup over the chicken.

"Great. Now start dusting the living room."

His shoulders slumped but he turned and walked away.

By the time the casserole was done the living room, bathroom and kitchen were company ready. Paul was a little disappointed when he realized that we wouldn't be staying to enjoy the food he had been smelling the whole time he was forced to clean. But when he glanced at Sue he changed his mind. Sue needed to grieve. Charlie needed to grieve. Paul had known Harry, but not like Sue and Charlie. And there was no telling when Leah and Seth might return home. We didn't need to intrude.

"I'll be home late, Bells," Charlie stated, his eyes lingering on Paul as he spoke.

I wasn't sure what he was trying to tell me. His voice had a strange tone to it. I couldn't figure out if he was telling me Paul should stick around to protect me, or if he was trying to warn me that I shouldn't get caught. Would he check in on me when he came home or not?

Paul stiffened, a frown on his face. He glanced back and forth between Charlie and me for a second. "She's not staying there alone."

Charlie's eyebrows went up. "Oh?"

Paul shook his head. He appeared to think. "She can stay at Sam's if you don't want her at my place."

Charlie seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded. "That's fine."

I rolled my eyes. I was an adult. And I was present in the room. But the two of them were negotiating my sleeping arrangements like I was a five-year-old kid.

"It's nice when a relationship stays so amicable after a divorce," I deadpanned.

Both of them turned to me. Paul had a straight face but Charlie had a slight grin. He knew where I was coming from. He held his arms out for a hug. It wasn't something we usually did. We weren't touchy-feely, lovey-dovey people. But he'd been through a lot of hurt for the day. I could give him a hug. I held him tightly for a long moment. I even threw in a quiet "I love you, Dad." He squeezed me even tighter for a second after hearing it. Then he let me go.

"See you in the morning, Kid."

Paul was quiet until we were on our way to Sam's. "That was nice of you."

I shrugged. "He's my father."

He shot me a look. "All of it. Cleaning. Cooking. That was really nice. You don't even know Sue, not really."

I looked away, out into the dimming light of late evening. "She lost her husband today. I don't have to know her to want to make this as easy as possible for her."

Paul grunted. I could _feel_ his smile. "You're a good person, Swan."

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Bloodshot eyes met mine from a grief-stricken face as the door swung open. Emily offered a small, confused smile. "Why'd you knock? You're family, Paul."

I tilted my head toward Bella. "She insisted."

Emily's smile widened as she took in the smaller girl next to me. "Bella, it's nice to see you."

Bella's absence from pack events was a sore point for Emily and Kim. It hurt their feelings that she didn't want to get to know them. The imprints had their own little clique within the pack. Whenever Bella did come around she spent her time with the boys, which was a sore point with me.

"Is the spare room free for the night?"

Emily's grin slid away as her face twisted with confusion. "Why-" she shook her head, waving us in. "No, wait until you're settled, then tell me what this is about."

I carried Bella's overnight bag upstairs as Emily ushered her to the kitchen jabbering something about a new flavor of tea. I hadn't even known tea came in flavors. By the time I made it to the table Bella had a plate in front of her and a cup of light liquid. There was even a setting beside her for me.

Emily sat patiently across the table, sipping from her own dainty cup. I slid into my seat and took a big gulp of the tea. Huh. It tasted like peach cobbler. Shit was good. I drained the cup then dove into the muffins she had provided.

Emily grinned at me before turning to Bella. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need, but may I ask why you are here?"

Bella shrugged. "Charlie is staying late at Sue's tonight and Paul didn't want me to be alone in Forks. Charlie didn't want me at Paul's. This was their compromise."

She smiled, nodding. "Well, we're happy to have you."

"Ah, my eyes!"

I growled as I opened my eyes. Embry was in the doorway, dramatically covering his eyes with one hand.

"Shut the fuck up, you're gonna wake her," I warned.

"Everyone decent?" He asked quietly, his eyes still covered.

I snorted. I never slept with a shirt on but with Bella I made the concession to wear cotton shorts. The blanket covered my shorts and my body covered his view of Bella. From his angle all Embry had seen was flesh when he opened the door. Served him right for barging in. I rolled to my back, careful not to disturb Bella's position on my arm.

"Yeah. We're decent."

Embry slowly peeked between his fingers. He saw my bare chest and cringed before catching Bella's pajamas.

"Hey what's taking so long," Quil practically bellowed as he clambered up the stairs.

I snarled at him as Bella groaned and shifted. I pointed at him with my free hand. "You're dead."

Quil paled for a second as he took in the girl just opening groggy eyes. Then his trademark easy grin took over his face. "Hey, sorry guys but the Love Shack is closed for the day. Breakfast is on the table though, and I'm sure you worked up an appetite last night."

I growled as Bella's face and neck took on a deep red hue.

Bella blinked a little, looking around. Suddenly she gave a high pitched yelp, clutching the sheet to her already fully covered chest. "Crap! What are you two doing in here?"

Embry blushed, looking down as Quil laughed.

"Sorry," Embry murmured before shoving past Quil.

Quil sent us another large grin. "You two lovebirds try not to get distracted while you get dressed. Don't want your breakfast to get cold."

He shut the door with a loud laugh.

"Sorry about that. They're idiots."

Bella turned to me with wide eyes. "They saw us in bed together!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the look of panic on her face. "I hate to break it to you but it's not like this is the first time. Pack mind, remember? They've seen it plenty of times before."

Her cheeks filled with fresh warmth. "You think about that?"

I snorted. I thought about a lot more than the innocent sleeping we did together. Not that anything other than sleeping had happened yet. Dammit. "Fuck yeah, I do. What do you expect? I'm a guy. Get up. I'm hungry and I can smell Emily's breakfast. Her breakfast is to die for."

I didn't miss the small flash of hurt in her eyes.

"Not that yours isn't good too. Your breakfast is great, too. I swear."

She scooted to the edge of the bed. "Just get out so I can get dressed."

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

Most of the pack was crammed into Sam's living room, minus Quil who was patrolling and the two newest members who were still too wrapped up in grief to participate. The atmosphere was grim enough without their sorrow added. Harry Clearwater had been an Elder, and therefore one of the only non-shifters to know of their existence. His death had been a major blow to all of the boys gathered around me.

And I had nearly added to that.

Sam stood looking over his pack with a solemn expression. With no visual cues that I had noticed, everyone in the room looked over at him, waiting for him to announce the reason for the meeting.

"The Cullens have contacted Bella," Sam stated.

There was a collective shifting of eyes to me, then back to Sam. But no one said anything.

"They have offered assistance dealing with the vampire attempting to reach Bella. Paul has asked me to put this to a vote."

The eyes shifted again. Some were nervous, some were filled with anger. A few bodies began to move restlessly as well, as if they were barely managing to hold in their arguments.

Sam held up a hand. "I've decided that I'm not going to do that. I'm still the Alpha. This is my responsibility, my duty. Bella is part of my pack and it's up to me to ensure she is protected."

I lowered my gaze, relief pouring through me. He was going to turn the Cullens away. I would not have to face my demons after all. Sam and his pack would continue to protect me. I might have to convince Charlie to stay in La Push for awhile, which might not be as hard now that Sue needed him. But eventually they would take care of the little vampire issue and my life could get back on track.

Sam continued speaking. "If the best way to protect her is to temporarily work with some unsavory allies, then so be it."

My head jerked up, my wide eyes connecting with his. His eyes were hard, brooking no argument. Sam had made up his mind. The Cullens would be called in.

"All of them?" Jake asked with a hard tone.

Sam nodded. "We'll take all the help they will offer. The sooner we catch this bitch the sooner the Cullens can leave again. And they may be able to offer some insight into how she thinks."

I looked around the room. The boys sat with crossed arms and angry frowns. None of them were happy with the new development. And suddenly I knew that if the idea had come up to a vote the Cullens would not have come anywhere near Forks. Sam must have known that too. So, did he doubt that they could catch Victoria on their own?

I glanced over at Paul to see him outright glaring at Sam. He held his hands out in front of him, clenched into fists. I slid my hand over the top of the closest, squeezing it gently. After a moment his fingers relaxed, opening to grab onto mine.

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

I studied her face, looking for the makeup. I could smell it, but at first glance I wouldn't have noticed it. Bella did a much better job applying it than whoever had smothered it on her when she went out for the evening with that quiet girl from her school. Then she had looked like a whore. Now she looked really pretty.

Whatever she had applied made her eyes pop. They seemed bigger than they ever had before. Her lips were shiny again too. Made me want to cover them with my own. Of course, then she'd try to slap the shit out of me again and we'd have to skip the funeral for a trip to the hospital to take care of her broken hand. So a kiss was out of the question.

Her hair was all curly again too. It spilled down her back in large rolls. I had to fight the urge to reach forward and pull one, just to see if it would spring back. That would also doubtlessly earn me a slap.

She sent me a compassionate smile as she reached forward to fix my tie. Dammit, I knew I hadn't gotten that knot right. After fiddling with it for a couple seconds she shook her head, a gentle smile on her face, and started pulling the knot out.

"You okay?" Her voice was quiet.

I shrugged and her hands slid along the silk of the borrowed tie.

She readjusted her grip and began to re-tie the knot. "I know Harry was important to all of you."

I looked down at her hands, uncomfortable with the look in her eyes. Her words touched a part of me that had been rubbed too raw with Harry's passing. "Yeah, well."

Her little fingers slid the knot up to my throat, but not so tight that I felt like I was suffocating. Then they smoothed down the white shirt before resting on my chest.

"Paul, it's okay to be sad."

I shrugged again as my throat suddenly felt tight. This shit was not cool. I could not get all teary-eyed and shit in front of Bella. I risked a quick glance at her face. She was smiling sadly at me, her own eyes a little too shiny.

Her arms slowly slid around my chest and then she was hugging me. "I'll be next to you the whole time."

I squeezed her tightly, resting my head on top of hers. Bella being next to me was the only way I was going to make it through without losing it. After a second she pulled away though and I had to let her go. We weren't at that stage where I could hold her whenever I wanted or needed to. I had to satisfy myself with staying awake into the night to enjoy that time she chose to spend in my arms. Sure, she was unconscious, but she still chose. It was her sub-conscious, but it was still her, even if it was more influenced by the imprint than her waking mind.

"We'll be late if we don't leave soon," she reminded me.

Not that I was eager to get to a funeral on time, but I was performing part of the ceremonies. I had to be there on time. I couldn't shame Sue or the council by showing up late.

I nodded. "Come on then. Let's go."

* * *

><p>All of us watched Leah and Seth as closely as we could during the ceremonies and burial. They looked worn down with anger and sorrow but they held themselves together. Seth was clearly too young to be shifting. His body still hadn't filled out to the stereotypical pack height and width. But it was also obvious that he was growing quickly. I'd overheard Sue commenting that she had bought Seth's shirt and pants just three days earlier and they were already too small. He was busting out of them.<p>

We would have to tell Sue. It wouldn't be fair to leave her in the dark, not with two kids involved and a newly deceased husband. As soon as the proceedings were officially completed I went in search of Sam, bound and determined to argue my point and win. When I found him by the buffet I pulled him away to a quiet corner.

"Sam, Sue needs to know." Why waste time with small talk?

Sam glanced around quickly, confirming we were safe from eavesdroppers. Then he turned to me leaning in even closer. He spoke with a low, reassuring voice. "I know. I spoke to the Elders yesterday. I told them that if they didn't tell her I would."

I raised my eyebrows. "And they were fine with that?"

He met my gaze with a hard look. "Are you forgetting that the Alpha is technically the Chief of the tribe? I can tell whoever the fuck I want. I could walk out into the middle of that crowd and phase if I thought that was best."

I snorted. Right. Sam was going to grow balls big enough to pull that kind of shit.

"They're holding a meeting this evening. I'll know by ten whether I'm going to be giving Sue a little visit in the morning alone, or with the council as backup."

I smiled. "Good."

I started to back away, but Sam grabbed my arm. "I want another meeting tomorrow. Have Bella arrange a meeting at the border with the Cullens. Two o'clock."

I snarled at him purely on instinct; even knowing his plan the statement had caught me off guard. The idea of my mate contacting a leech regardless of the thing's diet, sent the wolf into a frenzy.

He sent me a warning look, but I was too upset to heed it. "Oh, I'm sure you'd like Emily to help her deliver the message? Maybe she can be there with us at the meeting?"

Sam bared his own teeth.

We glared at each other, our skin vibrating just the slightest bit with the violence screaming to be released. Finally, Sam narrowed his eyes and spoke in a tight voice. "I understand your reluctance, Paul. But she is our link to them. She doesn't have to go to their house. She has a phone."

I replied through clenched teeth. "I'll make sure they get the message."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: Not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

"I need your phone."

Bella glanced up with surprise but quickly turned back to the griddle full of pancakes. "You know where it is."

Her bag was in the hallway, conveniently close to the front door. I found the phone quickly and slipped outside to make the call. I didn't want her to overhear another tense phone call with a leech.

When that bastard had called, asking whether Charlie was dealing well with her death, I had been tempted to lie. To tell him that Charlie was coping, but would have a hard time of it for awhile. But when it came right down to it, I couldn't do it. Regardless of how seemingly easy he had thrown it away, the fucker had held Bella's heart in his hands. I was afraid he still might. So, I couldn't toy with him. If Bella ever found out about it I wasn't sure she'd forgive me.

At least I could call Alice instead of dealing with him again. He'd sounded far too heartbroken when he asked for Charlie. He wasn't over her. I frowned down at the contact list of Bella's phone. He'd probably never been as uncaring as he seemed to her. Whatever reason he'd had to leave, it wasn't because he didn't love her any longer.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," I muttered as I found his name still in her phone. She hadn't let go of him either.

Quickly, I scrolled back up to the A's, cursing my stupid curiosity for making me look for his name in the first place.

The leech answered with a surprised tone. She sounded unsure, not used to unexpected phone calls. "Hello?"

I grinned. That's right. We did something to her so-called gift. Fucked it all to shit. "The Pack will accept your help. Meet us at the border, usual spot, at two this afternoon."

"Just me, or may I bring anyone with me?" She asked hesitantly.

"Whatever it takes to destroy this bitch." I hung up on her before she could ask any more questions.

I slid the phone into my pocket, afraid I would pulverize it before I made it back inside. I stared out into the woods for a minute, trying to get myself under control. I wanted to go inside that house, throw Bella over my shoulder and run like hell. Just get as far away from the threats that seemed to pile in on top of her from every angle. Sam would hunt me down and kick my ass. And Bella probably wouldn't be too happy about it either.

It was the smell of the pancakes that finally pulled me inside. My stomach was turning inside out with hunger pangs and I couldn't ignore the mouthwatering aroma any longer. When I walked inside I paused at the kitchen entryway, staring at Bella.

She had one hip pressed up against the counter and she was leaning forward, raising a fork-full of syrup-drenched pancakes to her mouth. With the other hand she effortlessly flipped another round of pancakes. Crossing my arms I watched her with a little smile. How could she be a walking disaster everywhere else but so coordinated in the kitchen?

She glanced up, saw me then straightened. "Hey, what'd you need my phone for anyway?"

"We have a meeting with the Cullens in a few hours."

She frowned but nodded.

I moved to the plate she'd set for me at the table and dug in. But I watched her through my lashes as she turned back to her food. She was eating much slower. Her shoulders were slumped too. Dammit. As soon as those bastards had outlived their usefulness I was going to kill them all. They didn't deserve to walk away after what they had put her through.

"How about we go back to my place once we're finished here?"

She shook her head. "I've got school."

I snorted. "So? We've got a meeting at two. You'd have to leave early anyway. One day off isn't going to hurt, Bella. I'll call it in."

She chewed on her lip and scraped her food around on her plate as she considered the idea. "Is it really necessary for me to be there?"

I wanted to tell her no, that she could stay safe, far away. But I didn't have that liberty. Sam had made it too clear that Bella was a necessary part of this. Anger rose in me at his insistence to throw my imprint into danger's way. There was no reason Bella had to be there. She'd given us all of the information we needed. We could handle everything from this point forward without her.

"I'm sorry," I grumbled, "but you do."

She sighed. Then she straightened and went to empty her plate into the trashcan.

"Hey! You need to eat!"

She turned a neutral stare on me. "I'm not hungry."

I started to argue, but clamped my mouth shut as her eyes hardened. I'd seen how stubborn Bella could be. She usually chose to exhibit the trait in small ways, fighting back only for insignificant issues. But when she did make a stand, the girl was immovable. Did I really want to start a petty fight with her on the day I took her to meet with her ex-boyfriend? The one she thought was so breathtakingly gorgeous?

I shrugged and turned back to my plate.

She cleaned her plate and the griddle quietly. Then turned back to me. "There's more left."

I'd finished all that she had set out for me, and I had even been eyeing the stack left on the counter where she'd been preparing them. But I was getting antsy sitting in her kitchen. We weren't on my land. They had every right to show up at her house in an attempt to reconcile. I could only imagine the emotional trauma that would cause her. I needed to get her out as quickly as possible.

"Get dressed. I'll finish cleaning up in here."

As soon as her foot hit the second floor landing I picked up her house phone and dialed. It really wasn't hard to impersonate Charlie. We both had deep voices. Neither of us used twenty words when three would get the point across. The school secretary accepted the call without a second of suspicion.

When she came back downstairs the kitchen was clean and I had the left-overs bagged up and ready to take to my house. No chance I was wasting them. Bella had cooked for me. Every time she did that something inside me hummed in pleasure.

I looked away from the TV and whistled. Then I stopped and frowned as a thought crossed my mind. "You dressing up for him?"

Her hair was curled and she had makeup on again. Her clothes were nicer than usual too. She looked good. She looked better than good. I swallowed rage. I was going to rip his fucking throat out.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and sent me a small grin. "In a way."

I couldn't help the growl that slipped out. That fucker was a pile of ashes.

She rolled her eyes at me. "I'm not going to meet him looking like I've been sitting around crying over him. I want him to look at me and know that I've been just fine without him. Better than fine."

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "And when he reads your mind?"

Her smile turned victorious. "He can't read my mind."

I grinned. "So…if I spend the whole time thinking about sleeping with my arms wrapped around you..."

She chuckled. It was a mischievous little chuckle. It was hot.

"It will be torture for him."

I smiled. "You know, you look all sweet and innocent. But you've got an evil mastermind locked up in there with you, don't you?"

She just laughed in return before grabbing her purse and heading for the door.

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

Time seemed to drag on. I was having fun at Paul's, but the thought never left the back of my mind that I was going to have to face Edward in just a few short hours. His specter hovered behind me, moodily watching me enjoy my time with Paul. Judging me for moving on so quickly, for finding any redeeming value in a creature he would find utterly worthless.

"Damn, where'd you get so good at Halo?"

I smiled. I'd killed him up again. "Emmett likes video games. He's a big kid."

Paul frowned a bit. "He's the big one?"

I nodded. "He's not a bad guy, really. He likes to play pranks. And he loves dirty jokes. And video games."

Paul shoved himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. I watched his shoulders and back as he walked. His muscles were tense. I could tell because of course, he wasn't wearing a shirt. He'd been relatively relaxed before I mentioned Emmett.

I snuggled into the corner of the couch and spoke quietly, knowing he would hear. "You're going to have to accept that they are part of my history. I can't change that. You can't run away every time I mention them."

"I'm not running away. I'm getting a fucking drink." He replied with a tense tone. "I've got some frozen pizza in here. Want me to heat it up for lunch?"

I shrugged.

I watched him moving angrily through his kitchen as he pre-heated his oven and set two pizzas out on cookie sheets. The vampire thing really bothered him. I could understand why of course. They were his sworn enemies. When he wasn't in school or with me he was searching them out and killing them, to protect his people.

My mind snagged on that thought. "Hey, Paul? You're missing a lot of school lately. I know Sam's been giving you a lot of the day-time patrols and you've been outside my school a lot of the other days. When do you have time for school?"

He was turned away from me when I asked. I'd only thought he was tense before. Suddenly every muscle in his back became defined as he grabbed the counter and hunched up a bit. He froze like that.

His voice drifted back to me, low and quiet. "About that…"

I leaned forward to hear him better.

"I, uh…I wasn't really keeping up…"

My mouth dropped open. What was he saying? Had Paul failed out of school?

Paul whipped around, startling me. His earnest expression grabbed onto something inside me and shook me. I had to fight the urge to run over to him and hold him, comfort him.

"I have a plan though. I'm already working on my GED. I'll have it done by the time you graduate."

His eyes were begging for my understanding, my acceptance.

I found that I couldn't deny him. I nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Why don't the others do that? With your schedules it would be so much easier if the Council set up a special program for you all. Especially now that there are so many of you."

A slow smile started to build on his face. And then he was moving. Before I knew what was happening I was in his arms and my feet were hanging off the ground. He squeezed me just tightly enough.

"Thank you," he muttered over and over again.

The oven buzzed, alerting us that it was finally warm enough for the pizzas. Paul slowly lowered me to the ground and sent me a warm grin. Then he spun around and jogged back to the kitchen.

I slowly sank back into the couch. He looked a lot more relaxed. More relaxed than I had ever seen him. That school thing must have been weighing on his mind for weeks.

"So, I'm going to need to do something for money afterwards," Paul mentioned as he walked back toward the couch.

I nodded. "Any ideas?"

He sighed. "There aren't many options out here. Especially for me. I think I'll have to work with Sam. He works construction jobs around the rez area on his off time. It doesn't make much. But with every one of us who can help, I bet he can do more work."

"Sure."

"What about you? What are you doing after you graduate?" His voice took on a nervous tone. "Are you…you heading off to college?"

I shrugged. "I've never really wanted to go. Edward was pushing me that direction. But now…I don't know."

"No reason to continue down a path you didn't want to start down in the first place. You could just hang around here for awhile. See if you find something that you actually want to do."

"Maybe. It would be cheaper than college. Especially if I stayed with Charlie."

Disappointment flashed across his eyes. What did he expect though? Did he think we were going to set up house together as soon as I graduated? We were nowhere near ready for that.

The look cleared quickly though to be replaced by an easy smile. "I'm sure we could find you a job here on the rez. Give my anxiety a rest for awhile."

I smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry about this. Apparently I'm like the tastiest human ever or something to vampires. Something about my blood smelling better?"

His jaw clenched and he looked away. I immediately regretted my words. He didn't need to hear that just an hour before taking me to a meeting with a coven of vampires. He was over-protective anyway. It was a good thing I'd never really told them about the birthday party. The Pack's reaction to that news would have wound up in their legends.

I had to get our minds off this topic. "So…um…if you think I'm good at Halo, you should see me play Rock Band. Especially guitar. Just don't let me sing."

Paul smirked half-heartedly. I could tell that he knew what I was doing. But I could also see that he was going to let me get away with it. "Is that right? Well you haven't seen badass until you've seen me play the drums."

* * *

><p>They were even more beautiful than I remembered. The sun was shining, reflecting off their skin in sparkling prisms of light. Their golden eyes were all trained on me as soon as Paul and I stepped out of the trees. Of course, their appearance was unchanged. There was no marking of time or grief on their faces. No indication that they had experienced any pain from my absence in their lives.<p>

Edward stepped forward immediately. Paul mirrored the move in reaction, putting himself slightly in front of my body. He was already shaking and nothing had really happened. No words had been exchanged. I slid a calming hand up his back. He couldn't phase. He couldn't leave me to face them alone.

Paul stepped to the side again, revealing Edward's face. He was watching us with a suspicious expression. I didn't know what Paul was thinking, but it couldn't have been about our sleeping arrangements as he had threatened. Edward would have been infuriated by that.

Sam and Carlisle seemed to step forward simultaneously but my mind wasn't on them. I couldn't tear my eyes off the younger members of the family. They were all so perfect. Alice sent me a smile that wavered a bit. Jasper nodded. It might have been my imagination but his eyes seemed to be apologetic. As soon as my eyes landed on Emmett he sent me a giant smile and a wave.

I had to smile back. I even waved a little. Paul stiffened beside me and I realized that I had stopped rubbing his back. I started the rubbing again and moved my gaze on to Rosalie. She wasn't looking at me though. Her eyes were darting along the border line. Embry, Quil and Jacob were stationed as guards, in case the treaty broke down.

I found their distrust a tad ridiculous at this point. If the Cullens still hadn't gone against the treaty after a few generations, then wasn't it about time to give them a little slack? The Cullens could be trusted. When they said something, they meant it.

My eyes dropped to the ground. When Edward said he had never loved me, he meant it. Everything from that conversation in the woods was true. I wasn't worthy of love. I wasn't good enough. Even Paul, the one person who was supposed to be interested in me had never shown a desire to kiss me. The most he had done was cuddle or hug me, which was doubtlessly an imprint thing. I must not be attractive.

Paul must have sensed something was wrong with me, because he turned to me with a frown. He leaned in and spoke quietly, trying not to disturb Sam and Carlisle's little discussion. "You okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine."

He frowned. "We're talking about this later."

I shrugged.

Sam turned to us. "Bella, why don't you tell them what Dreadlocks told you in the meadow right before he tried to eat you?"

The whole family stiffened.

"Who's Dreadlocks?" Emmett asked.

"Laurent," I supplied.

Alice frowned. "He was supposed to be in Alaska."

Paul bared his teeth. "Well maybe some of his ashes made it back up there. Breeze was kinda strong that day."

"He came because Victoria asked him to. He was supposed to find out if you were still protecting me. He decided to eat me instead."

Several of them hissed but I was looking down again so I couldn't tell who had made the noise. I forced myself to continue speaking. "Victoria has decided that the only way to punish Edward for James' death is to kill me. She has this ridiculous idea that she's killing a mate for a mate. She's wrong of course, but we can't really stop her long enough to explain it to her."

I glanced up to see varying levels of shock on the Cullens' faces. Edward was staring at me with a strange expression. I couldn't quite grasp the emotions there. I let my eyes slide away to Carlisle since he was stepping toward me.

Quil let out a warning growl as the man stepped uncomfortably close to the border. "Bella, we don't know what happened between Edward and you, but please, reconsider. He hasn't been the same since you broke it off."

I stared at him in shock for a moment, then shifted my eyes to Edward. He had the grace to look down. Paul started to shake harder. I grabbed him with both hands.

I whispered quietly into his ear, aware that everyone in the clearing would still be able to hear the words. "Don't you dare shift and leave me to face this alone. You're going to stand right here next to me."

I slid my hands down his arm to grab his hand and squeezed it. Paul squeezed back, a little harder than was comfortable but I would take whatever I had to to keep him human.

I turned back to Carlisle. "You are clearly confused. Edward broke up with me. He told me he had never loved me. That I wasn't good enough. And then he left me, alone, in the woods."

Edward's head popped up. "I never said you weren't good enough."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

His mouth opened but it took a second or two for the words to come out. "You said that. I just…I didn't argue. It was easier that way. After the party. After what happened…it was so clear to me. Being around us wasn't safe for you Bella. You needed to have a normal life."

His eyes darted down to my hands still holding onto Paul's with a death grip. "But I see now that you found the closest, most dangerous creature that you could and latched onto him."

Paul growled.

I felt myself straightening. How dare he talk about Paul. He knew nothing about Paul. "My relationship with Paul has nothing to do with you or what you put me through. Paul is a wonderful person."

"Bella," Alice called out quietly, stepping forward to stand next to her brother. "I've seen you with Edward. That future could still happen, if you choose wisely now."

I glanced back at Jasper. He was staring at his wife with an irritated expression. Then he glanced my way and shook his head the slightest bit.

Suddenly Paul squeezed my hand. I wasn't sure why until Edward's attention snapped to him.

"No!" He turned back to me with a slightly frantic expression. "Bella, you can fight an imprint bond. I know they've probably told you it's hopeless, that you have no choice and you're his to do with as he pleases. But you can leave. I'll take you away from here."

Every wolf in the area growled simultaneously. Poor Seth, brought along only so he could have some exposure to a 'non-threatening' vampire, lost control with the increase of tension and phased. Jake even crouched into an offensive stance, ready to spring on Edward.

Paul was shaking so hard I was having trouble holding onto his hand. "You will not take her."

I squeezed his hand and leaned against him, ignoring the uncomfortable sensation of his body trying to shift beneath me. I spoke against his ear again. Everyone was watching, which made me want to squirm. But he needed me to be close, so I was close. "It's okay, Paul. I will never leave you."

I turned my head, but kept my body pressed against the over-heated skin. I glared at Edward, hoping that he could read just how angry I was with him at the moment by the expression in my eyes alone. It was really a shame that he couldn't read my mind some of the time at least.

"You are wasting our time. If you aren't going to help us kill Victoria, then you can leave."

Being Edward, he tried one last time. "Bella, I love you-"

"No," I cut him off. "You don't. You love the yummy smell of my blood."

"I propose smaller planning meetings," Sam interjected.

Without me, Paul and Edward in the same room.

Carlisle nodded, looking between the two sides. "I think that would be a good idea."

"I'll bring two with me, if you will do the same?" Sam suggested.

Carlisle glanced behind him. "Jasper has experience in the Civil War and the newborn war. And Edward is good at strategy."

"The newborn war?"

Carlisle nodded. "It's part of our history. It shouldn't concern you."

Jasper frowned. "Unless Seattle really is full of newborns."

"Newborn vampires you mean? In Seattle? Wouldn't someone notice that?" Sam asked.

Jasper met his eyes coolly. "Haven't you been watching the news?"

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Great. Now not only did I have to worry about a douche of an ex-boyfriend hanging around, but there was probably a city full of vampires close enough to hop on over for a snack. I shot a worried glance Bella's way. I had to get her out of Forks and onto the reservation. She wasn't safe in Forks anymore. Hell, she never had been.

I frowned. She was hunched in on herself, shoulders down, arms crossed. Her eyes were sad as she stared at the TV. I had to take another look at the screen to remind myself what we were watching. She had picked it. It was supposed to be a romantic comedy, so why the fuck was she so mopey?

I scooted closer and threw my arm over the back of the couch, watching her out of the corner of my eye. No reaction. At all. When we first met she would have tensed up, maybe spit out a few timid words about personal space. But over time she had adjusted. Recently I had been able to sit next to her and she'd initiate contact if I didn't.

But still, nothing. It was like she didn't even know I was there. What the fuck?

"What's wrong, Bella?"

Her eyes barely rose, not even enough to make it to my knee before she dropped them again. She shook her head. "Nothing. Just a tense afternoon."

The words tore across me, screaming lie. The wolf began to pace. Something was wrong. She was lying to me. She was hiding something from me. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

"You did well out there. You were fucking awesome."

She snorted, a bitter little sound. "Right."

I frowned. "You were."

She shook her head.

"Bella. You stood up to him. The asswipe who used you and tossed you aside. He begged you to come back and you stood him down. I'm proud of you. You should be proud of yourself."

She hugged herself more tightly. That move broke my heart a little. She never had to hug herself while I was around. Why couldn't she just ask me to do it for her?

I eased my arm down off the back of the couch and around her shoulders. She stiffened for a second but then leaned against my side. I closed my eyes, gathering my strength and patience. Sometimes this woman took all that I had.

"Bella, please tell me what's bothering you."

She sighed. "It's just ludicrous. The idea that I ever thought he loved me. You saw how beautiful they are. He couldn't have loved me. He wanted to eat me, he just didn't realize that's what it was. I should have been smarter though. Smart enough to realize that he was deluding himself. I just wanted to be loved so badly I guess."

I frowned. "You're beautiful, Bella. A lot more attractive than they'll ever be."

She snorted again. I was starting to hate that sound. "You have to say that, because of the imprint. But even you don't find me attractive."

That stalled my brain. It was so far from the truth I couldn't quite believe she'd said it. "Excuse me? What?"

"Come on, there's no reason to pretend. It's been months now and you haven't even made a move. You don't have any sexual interest in me. That's okay, I guess. I suppose we'll be the first pair not to be like that. I guess I'll go without or maybe eventually find a partner you approve of."

I growled. "Like hell."

I wasn't really thinking at that point. I wasn't thinking about her reaction, or the way I could have ruined everything. I just had one clear image in my head. Her trying to fuck some other guy because she thought I didn't want her.

I grabbed her face and kissed her. The angle wasn't great though so I moved my hands down to her waist and pulled her onto my lap. Sliding my hands into her hair I cradled her head just where the hair and neck met, tilting her head for better access to that vanilla white skin. Then I started kissing my way along her jaw. She didn't attempt to stop me so I figured she was fine with it.

"You. Are. The Hottest. Fucking. Woman. I Have. _Ever_. Met." I punctuated every word with an open-mouthed kiss.

I could hear her breathing picking up and her hands had grasped onto my shoulders at some point. So I was fairly certain that she still didn't mind. But I had to be sure. So I pulled away, tilting her head so I could rest my forehead against hers.

Her eyes slowly opened with a glazed look. I grinned, a feeling of satisfaction coming over me. Hell yeah, I put that look on her face. "So, do you still have doubts?"

She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. My body had an immediate reaction, which she couldn't help but notice, considering she was straddling me. Her eyes widened. My palms itched to grab her hips and start moving.

Her cheeks went red. I couldn't resist the chuckle that built up at that sight. With cheeks flaming even brighter she pulled away to stand in front of me.

"Don't laugh at me!"

The genuine undertone of hurt in her voice cut that fucking laugh right out of me. "Shit. I'm sorry. You were just so cute."

Her eyebrows flew up. "Did Paul Lahote just use the word _cute_?"

It was my turn to be embarrassed. I shrugged off her question, looking down.

After a second she took the seat next to me again. It wasn't as good as _on_ me, but at least she hadn't left.

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><p><strong>AN: Have I told you reviewers lately how awesome you are? Because you are. Each and every one of you makes my day. :-)<strong>

**Suppose someone had kindly offered to look into making banners for my stories. And suppose that I happened to be of the opinion that Alex Meraz is a cutie but is actually kinda small to play a member of the wolf pack...I know I should be dodging tomatoes and other rotten food now...Also suppose it turns out I'm useless at searching the internet for hot young men who happen to be strapping young lads who are also tan enough and have dark enough hair to credibly be of Native American descent. Um, so, would anyone like to suggest their candidates for Paul in case the banner thing actually works out? No promises of course, but just in case?  
><strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: Not responsible for Twilight**

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><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"Goodnight, Dad," I called down the staircase. Then I turned toward my room. Immediately my stomach clenched. He was waiting in there for me. He had been every night for weeks and I hadn't been this nervous since those first few nights. My hand shook a little as I reached for the doorknob.

It was ridiculous really. Paul wouldn't try anything I wasn't ready for, right? Right? This was all supposed to be at my pace. That's what everyone said, even Paul. Even if he had initiated that kiss, I was the one who'd made the comment about not being attractive to him. He had to comfort me. He had to prove me wrong.

And it had worked. I knew without any doubt whatsoever that he physically wanted me. Maybe it was just because he wasn't satisfying his needs elsewhere. But regardless, he wanted me.

This was stupid; I was making myself crazy. Paul was not going to risk losing me. He wasn't going to jump on me as soon as I walked into my room. And I could always turn him down if he did try to push me into moving too fast. He'd take no for an answer. I knew that deep down like I knew that Charlie loved me.

Taking a deep breath I darted my hand out and twisted the doorknob. Holding the door open for long was risky. Charlie could come up the stairs and catch a glimpse of Paul lounging in the bed. So I rushed into the room and closed the door behind myself as quickly as I could, wishing for a lock on the door for possibly the thousandth time.

Electricity danced on my skin. He was watching me. I tried to catch a glimpse of him from under my eyelashes only to jump back as my gaze fell immediately into his. His jaw clenched.

"Get in the damn bed and go to sleep." His voice sounded angry.

What had I done to upset him? My stomach was already tied in too many knots. I'd spent the afternoon fretting about our impromptu make-out session on his couch. So I wasn't prepared to deal with his anger. I hadn't seen it coming. The past few days had been too much. Harry's death. My asinine solution to the Victoria situation. The funeral. The sudden appearance of the Cullen's in my life again. And then the shock that Paul was attracted to me after all.

Tears sprang to my eyes. I wiped at them with frustration. I was just emotional from stress and letting myself become over-tired. But it was no less embarrassing.

"Fuck." The bed springs creaked and then a second later warm arms were wrapping around me.

My feet left the ground momentarily and then I was horizontal. My head landed on the pillow that smelled faintly of both Paul and me now. And then the springs were creaking and the mattress was dipping, causing my body to roll slightly toward his.

"What the fuck did I do wrong _this_ time?" Paul muttered under his breath.

I shook my head, throwing both hands over my eyes. "It's just been hard, the past few days. That's all."

He settled down into the bed, cuddling in closer to me and throwing an arm over my stomach. My muscles tensed immediately. Would he try to comfort me with more than a hug?

The arm tightened. "Shh. It's okay."

I chewed my lip under the cover of my hands, then remembered his reaction to that earlier in the day and quickly released it from my teeth. My breath hitched as his hand settled on my stomach. I waited for it to progress, to make an inappropriate move. But it stayed there. Resting innocently on my stomach.

Slowly my abs began to relax. My breathing evened out. His heat was seeping into me too, which didn't help any. After so many nights of sleeping next to him I had become programmed to drift into a haze of relaxation when I was wrapped in his warmth. Sleep automatically began to claim my mind and body. It didn't matter that I wanted to discuss what had happened on his couch. That we needed to figure out what exactly we were. Instead my thoughts were drifting off as I lost the battle against sleep.

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><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Motherfucking shit. I just could not stop fucking this shit up. Could I? What the hell was wrong with me?

I stared down at the sleeping girl, my heart aching. She'd looked so scared when she forced herself to come into the room. Her room. I made her scared to come into her own fucking room. I made her scared of _me._ Because I couldn't keep my fucking hands to my fucking self.

How did Sam and Jared do this? I never saw them fighting with their imprints. I never saw them fucking things up like I did. Were they just better at this? Were they just better men?

Her face contorted in a sudden frown and my heart clenched. How the fuck could she _do _that? It wasn't fair that with a simple twisting of her eyebrows she could break my heart. Moving slowly I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. Murmuring unintelligibly she turned her cheek into my palm.

The move soothed some of the hurt inside me. No matter what happened while we were awake, deep down she turned to me. It wasn't as good as a conscious decision of course. But it was all I had so I would cling to it.

But wait. I did have more than unconscious affection to assure me that everything would turn out okay. Her words from the clearing came to mind. _I will never leave you_. A smile drifted across my lips. I wondered if she even realized what she had said in the heat of the moment.

Propping an elbow on my pillow I rested my head on my hand and continued to stare down at her.

And then I smelled it. Coming closer. My hands shook as I pushed myself off the mattress, straddling her to step off the bed. My low growl buzzed through the glass of her window. I scanned the woods, looking for his approach.

There. A blaze of white reflecting through the trees. He was moving fast. None of the others were watching the house, since I was with Bella. So there was no one out there to stop him. I tensed, weighing my next move. Stay close to her or meet him head on? Without visual confirmation I couldn't be sure I knew who was coming just on smell alone.

And then he stepped out of the trees, coming to a sudden stop at the edge of the yard. Crossing my arms I sneered down at him. What the fuck did he think he was doing? Coming to my mate's house in the middle of the night like some kind of psychotic stalker? I should tear his fucking head off and torch his ass for this. It might not violate the letter of the treaty but in my mind it was tantamount to an attack.

Bella had made herself clear. She didn't want to have anything to do with the bastard. She was asleep in her fucking bed. Coming to her in her room at night while she was sleeping was designed to confront her at her most vulnerable. And that was giving him the benefit of the doubt.

If I didn't have Bella to worry about I'd be hurtling out of that window in a heartbeat. Instead I stood there shaking, glaring at him. He met my eyes, a look of annoyance on his face. Obviously he hadn't expected me to be there with her. Idiot.

For half an hour he stood out there, assessing me, growing steadily angrier. And for that entire time I focused my thoughts. _You will not get to her. She's mine. She doesn't want you. You aren't good enough for her. I will never let you hurt her again. _Over and over. He wasn't getting anywhere near her and I was going to make that clear. None shall pass and all that shit.

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><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

Paul seemed more tense than usual as he drove me toward school. Guilt gnawed at my stomach. My stupid immature freak out had to be killing him. It had to come across as rejection, and that couldn't be easy for him to take.

"I'm sorry for last night," I murmured quietly. Pulling the sleeves of my shirt over my hands I started fiddling with the cuffs, anything to keep my hands busy. "I didn't mean to break down like that. It was stupid."

His fingers slipped over mine, stilling their movement. "Shut up." He squeezed my hands before pulling his hands away. "I understand."

I frowned down at my hands, trying to decipher what he'd meant. What exactly did he understand? Was he just saying that so I'd stop the uncomfortable discussion from happening? Did he really know what I was feeling? Maybe the imprint bond gave him some kind of special insight. If so I was going to be incredibly pissed because where was my insight? Or maybe he just thought he knew and really didn't.

"Are you sure?" I wasn't positive I wanted to have the conversation, especially since we didn't have much time before he pulled into the school parking lot, but I needed to know.

He shrugged. "You said yourself. Past few days have been rough. And they have."

"That's part of it," I agreed. "But…Paul, what _are_ we?"

He put the truck into park and turned slowly to look at me. The sight of the school was a bit of a surprise for me. I had known we were close, but not that close. His hand eased the few inches across the cab to rest on top of mine.

"You're gonna ruin your shirt."

I hadn't even realized I was worrying at the sleeves again.

I stared at his eyes, waiting anxiously for him to answer my question.

He swallowed. "You really want to do this right now?"

I nodded.

He nodded in return. "Okay then."

He glanced toward the school before turning back to me. "Okay. You know where I stand, Bella. Where I've always stood. You're it for me."

His words were…less than what I'd hoped for. They weren't exactly comforting. Tears sprang to my eyes again. "Yes. I am it for you. You don't really have a choice about that."

"Dammit!" Paul hit the steering wheel with his free hand, jolting the whole truck. "That's not what I meant."

I sniffled. "What then?"

He turned away and spoke with a quiet grumble. "I care about you."

"You do?"

"Fuck yes!" He rounded on me with a defensive tone.

I huffed at his constant need to use vulgarities. Could he not be a gentleman for this one conversation? Glancing back down at my stretched out shirt cuffs, I pressed the issue. "So, um, what does that mean, exactly? Cause I care about Charlie. And I care about Angela. I even care about Billy Black."

I was going to say Jacob, but common sense kicked me in the head at the last second.

I didn't know why I was pushing him. Not while sitting in the parking lot of my school with students streaming by on their way to class. It wasn't really the ideal time. We weren't ready for this talk. There hadn't been much building up to it.

No, that was a lie. I knew why I was doing this. The Cullens. Edward. Edward Cullen being back was making me question everything. I had to know what this was with Paul before I walked into that school. What if Edward was in there? What if he tried to twist my head and heart around again? What if he could succeed? I needed every bit of armor available at my disposal when I climbed out of the truck. Even if I wasn't sure I wanted that particular set of armor yet.

"I.." He glared out the windshield as he struggled for words.

My heart started to fall as time crawled without another word from him. It shouldn't be that hard for him to tell me how he felt. Not if he really felt anything for me anyway. I reached for my backpack.

"I guess I'll see you later." My voice sounded too small even in my own ears.

"Fuck." He lunged across the cab, and my lap, to pull the passenger door closed just as I popped it open.

I sat back as he climbed off of me. Crossing my arms defensively, I questioned him again. "Well?"

My arms fell away in shock as I caught the look on his face. Was that fear?

"Shit, Bella. I like you. Can we leave it at that? Do we have to get all mushy? You're my girlfriend. Isn't that enough?"

"Am I your girlfriend?"

"Well you sure as hell aren't going to be dating anyone else!" He looked away, taking a moment to calm himself before continuing. "And hell, we're basically dating, you know? We watch movies, go out to eat." He sent me a cocky grin. "We're sleeping together."

I smacked his arm, which he probably didn't feel. But it left my hand stinging even though I hadn't hit him with as much force as I could have. "Not like that."

He leaned in closer. "It could be like that."

I couldn't think of a fast retort for that one, not over the sudden pounding of my heart. He grinned at me before darting in to press a fast, chaste kiss to my lips. "Maybe awhile before it's like that, but I can kiss you now."

The move surprised me. I'd expected the previous day's activities to be an isolated event, for awhile at least. The kissing had been too intense. It had been exciting and mind-blowing while it was taking place, but way too scary to think about afterwards.

The quick, light brushing of lips though I realized was kind of nice. I could handle that. So I sent Paul a smile and darted in to see how it felt to deposit a small peck on his lips. It was nice. And kind of embarrassing. Flustered, I leaned down with blazing cheeks to grab the bag I had dropped at some point. Then I hopped out of the truck and walked toward the school, oddly in a much lighter mood than when I had started the morning. I could feel Paul's eyes on me until I disappeared into the school.

My doubts faded to the background, my mood buoyed by Paul's declaration. So, it wasn't the most romantic conversation. But there had been true affection in his eyes when he looked at me. And the kiss had been sweet. It made me want to believe that everyone else was right about the imprint.

The light mood lasted only until the break period between my first and second class. That was when Alice cornered me by my locker. One minute I was alone and then she was there, so close the chill emanating from her was bringing goose-bumps to my skin.

"I don't understand why you insist on staying with that animal," she pouted. "You were going to be so happy as part of our family."

I shut my locker. Part of me wanted to tell her off and part wanted to hug her and beg her to never leave again. Mainly due to her view of Paul, the hurt side of me was winning. I did have some restraint though so I kept my voice low and calm.

"He's been there for me, protected me, when others have abandoned me. Your family left me Alice. Whatever future I would have had with your family died that afternoon in the woods."

"That's not true." Her icy hand grasped my arm as I tried to move away. "It's not too late. I know we can fix this."

I pulled against her grip. For a long moment she didn't release me and I was stuck staring at her. She had a stubborn expression plastered across that perfectly made-up face. Alice was not accustomed to losing. But finally she released me.

Rubbing briskly at the cold skin on my arm to warm it up I glared at her. "I think I'd rather it stay broken."

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><p>Edward stared at me all through lunch. I could feel his eyes on my back. And Jessica kept sending me jealous little glances. Thankfully she didn't mention the attention I was receiving. I didn't relish the thought of the Cullen clan listening to me discuss them.<p>

Unfortunately, I had to deal with his attention during my next class. And he was much closer too. He didn't try to talk to me until the following class though. I kept my head down and ignored him. I had nothing to say to him and sure didn't want to hear what he had to say to me.

He followed me to every afternoon class. Somehow he must have arranged his schedule to match mine. The idea struck me as creepy, reminiscent of a stalker. But I had to wonder, if I hadn't met Paul before Edward reappeared in my life, would I have seen his actions differently? Would I have seen them as romantic? Would I have appreciated his efforts to get closer to me?

It was a relief to rush out to my truck when the final bell rang. Paul would be out there, waiting for me. Edward wouldn't possibly approach with Paul there. He wouldn't be that bold, that foolish. My steps slowed though as I neared the truck and realized no one was there.

Right. Patrol.

"You shouldn't be alone. It isn't safe."

The fact that I jumped at the sudden voice by my side made me angry. I glared at Edward. "My safety is really none of your concern."

For the second time in the day I felt the icy hand of a vampire on my skin. How had I ever accustomed myself to that sensation? It just wasn't natural. I turned a baleful look on his fingers.

"I didn't say you could touch me. You're here to clean up a mess you left behind. And then I want you out of my life for good. There's really no reason for us to interact."

For just a second the grip on my arm tightened to the very edge of tolerable pressure before pain set in. And then it released. "I apologize for disturbing you."

He slipped away into the crowd, which I suddenly realized had been watching us. Of course they would watch us. My relationship with Edward had always been fodder for the school's gossip mill.

He did have a point though. I didn't need to be alone. Even with the inevitable wolf on guard, I didn't want to sit in my house alone, waiting for Charlie or Paul to come home. Every sound would become someone sneaking in to kill me. So I drove to La Push.

I considered going to Paul's house. But then I thought about what had happened the last time I was in that house with him. He knew we weren't ready for anything intimate. But still, the idea of meeting him anywhere we could possibly be alone was daunting. So I turned the truck toward Sam's.

Interactions with Emily were still a little awkward. She wanted me to declare my undying love for Paul and just could not understand why I didn't feel that way yet. I couldn't seem to explain it to her without insulting her for jumping into Sam's arms so quickly. So we had come to a truce on the matter; neither of us would bring it up.

That didn't mean neither of us was thinking about it. We just didn't argue about it any longer. I could see the confusion and censure in her eyes when she watched Paul and me though. She expected me to throw myself at him the way she and Kim did when Sam and Jared walked into the room. She wanted to see make-out sessions and hear us dreaming about the day we could start our lives together.

I worked on my homework while Emily finished up a sewing project. She was sewing quilts for the shut-ins on the reservation. Apparently it was something she did frequently, provide little niceties for the less fortunate in La Push. Sam and Emily weren't rolling in wealth, but they had health and Sam had that hunting edge that others didn't. Emily's garden provided most of the food that Sam didn't bring home after patrols.

We were both leaning over the huge pot of chili that had been simmering for an hour when Paul and Sam walked in. I expected it when Sam latched onto Emily. I didn't expect the bear hug that I received from Paul though. He squeezed me tighter and longer than usual. When he finally released me, placing my feet back on the floor, I met his eyes with a worried look.

"What was that about?"

He smoothed my hair behind my ears with both hands. "M' gonna tear his fucking head off if he doesn't leave you the hell alone."

I stepped away, using the excuse of grabbing a bowl to fill with chili for Paul. Being in Paul's arms in front of Sam and Emily was possibly more awkward than watching them making out. After denying any relationship with Paul for so long, I felt a little foolish being in his arms, even though I knew they of all people would celebrate the development.

He took the bowl without a word, but his eyes said it all. I may as well have slapped him and told him to keep his hands off me. I turned away, pretending to focus on filling my own bowl but really I just couldn't face him any longer.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**AN: Thanks to all the reviewers. I appreciate you all. Even if I suck at replying. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

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><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Bella slept fitfully, again. Her sleep issues had resumed the day the bloodsucker had showed up in her living room. I perched on the edge of the bed, smoothing the hair from her face, attempting to comfort her before her dream exploded into a full-blown nightmare. Sometimes I could head them off if I got to her in time.

I could smell him out there though. He was probably at the edge of the woods again. My teeth clenched. What was I going to do about the nights I had patrol? I couldn't leave her alone. He would climb through her window, regardless of her request to be left alone. He sure as hell wasn't respecting that wish at the moment.

I needed to be with her every night, but Sam wouldn't allow that. It wouldn't be fair to the others. They deserved nights off too. And sure, they'd be willing to head out to Forks to watch Bella for me, but that was taking away from their time off, their time to sleep. Besides, as much as I trusted my pack brothers to guard my back, I just couldn't leave Bella to their care, not knowing that he would be showing up, trying to get through to her. He was relentless.

Climbing over her, I settled into my spot at her side. I slid my arm over her stomach and gently pulled her into my chest. She would be angry. But this was the only way I could guarantee her protection.

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><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"What the hell is this!"

Charlie's yell ripped me from the clutches of a dream that had been running down the dark path toward a nightmare. I tried to sit up but a heavy bar across my stomach stopped me. I struggled against the arm pinning me to the mattress, but I couldn't tear my eyes from the outline of Charlie standing in my doorway, back-lit dimly from the hallway. It took me a second to put the pieces together. But when I did my heart tried to pound its way out of my chest.

Charlie had walked into my room. In the middle of the night. While Paul was in my bed. No. This couldn't be happening.

Light flooded the room, to further illuminate my shame. Charlie's hands planted themselves on his hips as his face filled with red. He would have looked ridiculous standing there in boxers and a T-shirt if he didn't look so murderous. His eyes zeroed in on Paul.

"What is he doing in my house?"

I cringed. I had always hated lying to Charlie. Apparently I hated being caught lying even more. "I'm sorry. I just…I sleep better when he's here."

Charlie's eyes widened and darted over to mine. "Excuse me? This isn't the first time he's been in your bed?"

My mouth went dry.

Paul scooted to sit up to a seated position, which had the unfortunate effect of revealing his bare chest. He kept one hand on my shoulder though. "Don't be mad at Bella, Sir. This was my idea."

Charlie huffed angrily. "Oh, I'm sure it was."

My father narrowed his eyes toward the teenage boy. "Get out of my house. You aren't welcome here anymore."

I shot up, which was much easier to accomplish without the heavy arm across my midsection. "You can't do that!"

Paul's hand slid to rest comfortably around my back.

"The hell I can't! This is my damn house."

"We weren't doing anything! We were just sleeping! It's not fair!"

Charlie took a step forward, pointing a finger at my face. I ignored the low growl emanating from Paul and focused on my father's words.

"I gave you rules that you agreed to follow, Bella. No boys here while I wasn't. No boys in this room. How long has this been going on?"

I looked away, shaking my head. There was no point in telling him. I was busted anyway.

"I thought I told you to get out of my house." Charlie's voice came out low, threatening. His finger swiveled over to point at Paul. "I don't want to see you around here anymore. You aren't dating my daughter."

I gasped as pain shot through my whole body at the thought of being separated from him. I couldn't let that happen. I needed Paul. He needed me. We couldn't be apart. Paul's hand tightened where it had come to rest along the curve of my side.

I squared my shoulders, my will hardening. Meeting Charlie's eyes, I spoke as calmly as I could manage. "If he goes, I go."

Charlie's eyes sparked with anger. "This isn't a game, Bella. You need to start acting like an adult, not some lovesick kid. You can't break the rules and expect to squeeze out of the consequences by making idle threats."

I threw the blanket off of my body and jumped out of the bed. "Who said anything about an idle threat? If you try to make me stop seeing Paul I have to leave." I jutted my chin out. "I'm going to continue seeing him. And I'm going to continue sleeping with him."

I knew that last part hadn't come out exactly right. Charlie wouldn't understand the nuances of our relationship. That by 'sleeping with him' I didn't mean 'having sex with him' like most people would. But in the heat of the moment, I really didn't care how he interpreted my words.

Charlie straightened. "You are not sleeping with any boy in my house. And that's final."

I nodded, my heart breaking a little. I hadn't wanted to leave under such unpleasant circumstances. I would have preferred to stay at least through the rest of my semester. But my hand had been forced.

Some of the anger cleared from Charlie's face when he saw my nod. He must have misunderstood the move.

I turned to Paul. "Can you help me pack?"

Charlie sputtered. "What…what do you think you're doing?"

I cast him a glance over my shoulder as I moved to my dresser. "I'm moving out. I'm an adult. You can't dictate who I see. Who I sleep with. What I do for that matter. As long as I'm not breaking the law you have no say in my life. You do have the right to ban him from your house of course. So we'll both leave."

Charlie sent Paul a murderous glance. "Funny you should mention that. Breaking the law. He's not old enough for you to be sleeping with. Technically, you're breaking the law."

Paul jumped between us. I hadn't really considered how much restraint he had been exhibiting by allowing me to have it out with my father on my own, but that last statement had set something off in him. He stood between us now, his back straight and unrelenting.

"So. You're going to arrest your daughter? Make her live the rest of her life on the sex offender's list? That's real nice of you," Paul sneered. "Too bad the cops in this town don't do their research more carefully. My birthday was three weeks ago, Charlie. I'm seventeen. Legally old enough to provide my consent. You can't do shit about this."

I sighed in relief. Of course I never believed my father would really send me to jail for sleeping with a minor. But if any of his coworkers had learned about the situation, they would have been legally compelled to do something about it.

Paul turned to me. "Grab enough for tomorrow. We'll come back later for the rest."

I nodded, loving that idea. I just wanted out. Out from under Charlie's angry, hurt gaze.

It wasn't until we were in the truck, barreling toward La Push that my brain really kicked in. The gears started to turn. There had been one or two times in the past that I vaguely recalled a half-waking memory of my father's face peering in at me through my cracked bedroom door, then the door shutting and Paul slinking back to bed a couple minutes later. If he had heard Charlie with enough warning to hide all those times, what was so different this time? Why hadn't he heard Charlie coming? Why hadn't he been hiding the closet this time?

Had he been too tired? Had he been distracted? My mind chewed on memories of the night as we drew closer to La Push. Beside me Paul was silent in the driver's seat. That wasn't so odd. He was usually quiet. But there seemed to be an odd cloud of guilt in the truck cab. And it wasn't coming from me.

It clicked as we passed over the area that I knew vaguely to be the border.

Gasping, I spun to face him. "You did that on purpose!"

"Fuck." His tone was quiet, resigned.

Heat flashed across my body. I could feel my blood pressure rising. "How could you do that to me!"

Paul yanked on the wheel, swerving to the shoulder of the road. He stared straight ahead for a long moment as my temper notched higher and higher. Finally, he turned to me. "I couldn't keep you away from Cullen there. He was stalking you, showing up at night. Hoping I wasn't going to be there."

I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off again.

"I have patrol tomorrow night."

I slammed my mouth shut as those words filtered in. As what they truly meant filtered in. I would have been alone. Yes, there would be a wolf out there. But Edward would have found a way around that wolf. He would be able to hear the wolf's thoughts. He'd know how to get around them. He was too sneaky.

I shuddered at the thought of waking up in the middle of the night to find Edward sitting in that rocking chair, staring at me.

But still. Paul had manipulated me. He had manipulated the situation. He hadn't even attempted to talk to me. We could have worked out the solution together. What he had done was just as bad as anything Edward had done to me.

"You can't treat me like this, Paul. You aren't my father," I protested.

"I'm not trying to be your father," He snapped back.

He probably would have kept going, but I cut him off. "You can't manipulate me like this. What you did tonight was wrong! I might not ever be able to fix things with Charlie. My relationship with him might never be the same. And you did that."

"I was protecting you from-"

"I know!" I interjected, cutting him off again. "I know you were doing what you thought was best. Again. You're always doing what you think is best. That's my point, Paul. When do I get to be an equal in this relationship? Or does that ever happen? If you expect me to sit back and let you control my life like this forever, then you don't know me.

"I understand why you did what you did. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. That I'm going to let you keep doing it. I'm done with that. Tonight was the last time I let you walk all over my rights. I'm an adult, Paul. I have a mind and the ability to make my own decisions. And I'm going to start doing that. Either we're a partnership or we're nothing. Do you understand?"

He nodded, a strangely blank expression on his face.

I watched him closely, watching for any signs that he was just agreeing to what I wanted to hear. I needed to know he was sincere. Eventually I gave up. Time would have to tell.

I turned to face the windshield. "I'm tired. Let's go…wherever you're taking me."

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

I didn't expect Bella to go back to sleep that night. But she surprised me by curling up into my bed and immediately passing out. I pressed up against her but couldn't rest. My mind was too full of the night's events.

Had I done the right thing? Bella was pissed off. Charlie hated me and was furious with her. Not to mention hurt. Was she right? Had I just ruined her relationship with her father? How could she forgive that?

It had to be done though. I couldn't leave her there, vulnerable when Cullen came prowling. She had to be safe. Even if she was fuming. She might want to rip my balls off, but she could try that on the safety of the rez.

I spent the rest of the night gazing down at her, worrying about our future. How long would she resent me? Would she wish she had never met me? It might depend on whether she ever reconciled with her father. I might have to work on that once we cleared up the vamp hell bent on vengeance issue.

First, before I did anything else, I would have to figure out where the fuck we were going to live. My father had been asleep when we slipped into the house and he hadn't woken up. I wasn't sure what his reaction would be when he realized we were there in the morning. The odds were split pretty evenly between him accepting us or kicking our asses out like Charlie had. My father was hard to read sometimes.

The sounds of movement in the house early in the morning made enough noise to wake Bella. She stretched first, still half asleep. Then she cuddled further into me. I squeezed her tightly, relishing the moment I knew would be short. As soon as her consciousness kicked in enough she would pull away.

And sure enough, she was out of my arms a few seconds later with an accusatory look. As if she expected me to reject her sleeping cuddles out of respect for her attitude while she was awake. Not going to happen Sweetheart.

Carefully avoiding any further physical contact she crawled from the bed to grab her overnight bag. "Where can I change?"

I moved slowly off the bed. "I'll leave the room, need to warn Dad that we're here anyway."

The door clicked softly behind me. Barely a second later the lock clicked. The wolf in me huffed unhappily at that. There shouldn't ever be a locked door between us. Of course it would take almost no effort to knock the door aside. But it was the principle.

I found my dad in the kitchen. He jumped a little as I walked into the room. So he really did have no idea that we were there. He must not have looked outside yet to see her monstrosity of a truck sitting in the driveway.

"She finally come to her senses and kick you out?" He asked with a small grin. But his eyes were watching me carefully, searching my face for signs of distress.

I approached the table slowly, weighing my words. "She's in my room. Um…Dad…we've got a little situation. We need a place to live."

He took the time to shove another spoonful of cereal into his mouth, chew it and swallow. His eyes were staring straight into mine the whole time. It took everything in me not to fidget and look away and he wasn't even an Alpha. The man could probably back Sam down after holding that gaze long enough.

Finally he opened his mouth and spoke. "You knock her up?"

"No," I growled. I was getting sick and fucking tired of everyone jumping to that conclusion. Especially since I hadn't even had the chance to try yet.

"Why else would the chief of police kick his daughter out?"

I dropped my gaze to glare at my bare feet. "I wasn't supposed to be there and he caught me in her bed."

"So all of a sudden he didn't want you spending the night? What'd you do to piss him off?"

I shook my head, my frustration mounting. This was not going well. My father was likely to side with Charlie after hearing my explanation. Then I'd be forced to live with Sam. That would be hell on my relationship with Bella, especially with the way Emily and her picked at each other.

"I was never supposed to be there."

The room became very quiet for several heartbeats. I listened to my bedroom door open and then a second later the bathroom door closed. Then, "This whole time you were sneaking in? And you finally got caught?"

I nodded.

My father snorted.

Rage flared but I clenched my mouth shut. I couldn't jeopardize my chances of staying in the house. It would be a much better environment for Bella. We'd have more privacy for one. The pack brothers were all over Sam's place. Every word she said would be overheard, even if she whispered it. Plus, I really didn't want any more memories of the way Sam and Emily sounded in bed together. They were careful to be as quiet as possible while they had company but there was no way to be quiet enough when that company was a wolf.

The little smirk left his mouth. "I suppose you both want to stay here now. Is that it?"

I sat in the chair across from him. The bathroom door opened, spiking my heart rate. Bella couldn't spend sixty seconds longer getting ready? By then our housing fate would have been decided.

She sat down quietly between us, eyeing us both warily. My father nodded at her before turning back to me. "You any closer to getting that GED?"

I shrugged. "Close enough. I can do it."

He sat back. "You fuck that up then you're both out." He glanced her way. "Same for you. You drop out and you're both out."

I chuckled with surprise. "That's it? Those are the rules? Stay in school?"

He shrugged. "I'm not stupid enough to think I can separate you. She's an adult. You are too as far as I'm concerned. So yeah. The rule is basically don't do anything stupid."

I slumped back until the wooden slats of the chair dug into my back. I hadn't expected him to make it so simple. My eyes met Bella's and a smile broke across my face without consulting me first. I couldn't help it though. I was just so damn relieved. She had a place to live again.

She gave me a small token smile in return. She hadn't completely forgiven me yet. But she wasn't as angry. In fact, now that I thought about it, we had a little more talking to do. I couldn't have the conversation in front of my father though. We needed privacy.

So I sat through breakfast, waiting for my father and Bella to finish eating. Finally Bella was ready to head to school. We would have to leave a little earlier than we used to, since her morning commute would be longer.

As soon as we were on the road I spoke up. "So, now that we know we _can_ stay at my house, do you want to? Or do you want to stay somewhere else? I'm not sure what our other options are besides Sam's. Do you have any ideas?"

The words were hard to push out. I felt like I should be the one providing for her. Part of me didn't understand why she couldn't just shut up and appreciate that providing for her was my way of showing I cared. But I was starting to get smart. Saying that probably wouldn't do much to get her out of her pissy mood.

She looked genuinely surprised at my words. "I'll think about it while I'm at school."

I nodded. "Just make sure it's in La Push. So they can't get to you while I'm on patrol."

She visibly bristled at the command but what did she expect? She knew why I had let her father catch me in her bed. I had to get her past the treaty line. Did she really expect me to agree to living anywhere outside of that border?

She gave me an irritated little look. "So I can be a part of the decision making process as long as I choose something within your pre-approved parameters?"

"That's bullshit and you know it, Bella. Unless you want me to take you back to Charlie's and you can face Cullen every fucking night on your own. You know he'll be there, climbing through that damn window while you sleep. I'm trying to protect you here. What the fuck is so hard to understand about that?"

I could hear her teeth grinding against each other. That only made me want to hold her jaw still. She was going to hurt her teeth doing that.

"Okay." She bit out. "I suppose I can see that. We'll talk about it more when you get back from patrol."

I nodded. "We will."

And then she got out of the truck and stomped away. I climbed out too, keeping an eye on her as she stomped angrily away. Only once she was safely inside did I slink into the woods to start my daily vigil.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: I didn't write Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

He leaned in close to me, a look of sympathy on his face. "Do you understand now why I say they are too young and impulsive? He isn't good for you, Bella. He's twisting your emotions up, twisting your thoughts."

I stared straight ahead at the white board, concentrating so hard on the assignment the teacher had posted in big blocky print that the letters began to lose their meaning. They morphed into alien geometric shapes, burning into my retinas. When I blinked I could see the negative impression left behind, swimming behind my eyelids.

"He is ruining your life, Bella. This is classic abuser behavior. He is separating you from your family. Don't you see it? He's making you dependent on him, his affection. The control he has over you is unhealthy."

I turned to glare at Edward. Whispering quietly so only he could hear, I responded angrily, "He's trying to get me away from the crazy stalker who keeps trying to sneak in while I'm asleep."

Edward's expression didn't shift at all. "I'm trying to help you. It's the only time I can talk to you away from him. It's the only time you're alone."

"And vulnerable," I added with a bite of sarcasm.

He leaned away from me at that. "I would never hurt you. Can he say the same?"

I snorted. "He would die for me, Cullen."

His façade cracked the slightest at the use of his last name. I had never addressed him so impersonally before. I pressed the advantage while I had it. "And you? You would kill me before you knew what you were doing if I accidentally sliced my finger open. Hmm. Who is a girl going to choose?"

I turned my head away from him then and proceeded to ignore him for the rest of the day. He made attempts to speak to me again, but I tuned them out. He had nothing I wanted to hear. Nothing I hadn't heard before in fact. He'd said it all already. Alice threw in her opinion too of course. As if I would miss the shopping sprees.

Their attention distracted me from my true goal for the day, coming up with a more viable housing strategy for Paul and myself. I didn't want to live with his father. I still didn't even know the man's name. Paul always referred to him as Dad. And he still thought that Paul and I were having sex. At least he reacted better to that idea than Charlie had, but that didn't mean I could look the man in the eye. How could I live with him?

But as I climbed into my truck and began driving toward my house to pack up more clothes, I still didn't have any better ideas. I sure wasn't moving in with Sam and Emily. I'd seen the way they were all over each other in front of people. I didn't want to listen to what they did behind closed doors. Paul and I didn't make enough money to get our own place. So it looked like we were stuck living with his father.

But I would be looking for a new job immediately. Perhaps in La Push, to cut back on the commute time. And to keep Paul from having a nervous break down.

And I had only the clothes on my back. So unless I wanted to spend what little money I had replacing my wardrobe, or start rocking the hobo look and just commandeer Paul's clothes, I needed to stop by Charlie's and pick up a few things. Paul had mentioned helping me do that, but he obviously hadn't been thinking about the fact that he would be patrolling when I got out of school. And he wouldn't be finished with that until well after midnight.

The driveway was empty when I pulled up but I doubted Charlie would stay away long. I had to get in and out quickly if I wanted to avoid another conversation like the one I'd had the night before. I moved through the house quickly, starting with the laundry room to gather my dirty clothes. I didn't have much in the bathroom, since I didn't go in for the girly routine of counter tops full of makeup and hair care products.

It was the bedroom that slowed me down. My feet stumbled to a halt as soon as I opened the door. There was so much there. I couldn't possibly pack it all up and drive it away in my truck. I had lived with Charlie for such a small percentage of my life, but I had accumulated so much _stuff_ in that time. How did I pick and choose what to take with me and what to leave behind? And how did I do it with a time limit?

And the computer sent my mind off on a whole new panic inducing tangent. I had to tell Renee. She had no idea what was going on, unless Charlie had called her. No, if he had she would have called me already. She would want to know where her daughter was living. She usually sent me emails, but I couldn't take Charlie's computer with me. And I couldn't remember if I had ever seen a computer at Paul's house. I might not have internet access any longer. So I had to sit down and send her an email, detailing what had happened and where I would be staying.

I glossed over it all of course. I tried not to make Charlie sound like an unreasonable tyrant. Because really, he wasn't completely in the wrong in my opinion. I had broken his rules, knowingly and willingly. I set out to break them when I unlocked my window that first time, intending to sneak Paul into the house. I knew that my father did not want any boys in my room with the door open in the middle of the day. And I had one hiding in my bed nearly every night.

It was his house. He should have the right to decide who slept in it. Paul had been a minor for a good part of that time. If anything had happened to him while he was in the house, Charlie would have been held responsible for it. And face it, being anywhere near me, something was bound to happen to Paul soon.

So, I could see why Charlie was upset. I had broken his trust. I had lied to his face. So in the email I made sure to take my fair share of the blame.

I also found it difficult to avoid revealing the tangle my emotions were in. Especially after Edward's contribution to the doubts cycling through my mind. _Was_ Paul an unhealthy influence on my life? Oh, not Paul. Not really. The imprint though. And it was influencing me. There was no doubt of that. I had just moved in with him after all. Would I have honestly done that without the bond working on me?

Renee didn't need to worry about my problems though. I didn't need one more person advising me. So I kept the message short and to the point, as much as I could. I had to erase half of it to accomplish that goal. The final product would still worry her, I had packed up and walked out on Charlie in the middle of the night, but she shouldn't feel the need to hop a plane to come rescue me.

I read over the email one last time, took a deep breath, hit send and jumped up to begin throwing clothes into trash bags, packing as quickly as I could. The email had taken longer than I had anticipated. Charlie would be home soon and I didn't want to be there when he arrived. I swept the contents of the drawers up in big arm loads. I crammed shirts and pants still on the hangers into garbage bags. I threw my books into a random bag of clothes, because I couldn't survive without reading. Once I deemed enough of my wardrobe bagged up, I began hauling everything down to the truck.

Charlie pulled in as I was heaving the second bag into the bed of the truck. My heart sank. I had wanted to make a clean get away. But he was approaching with that damn neutral expression, watching me struggle with the third bag.

"Need some help?" He finally asked after my fifth attempt without getting the bag more than two feet off the ground. It was obviously the one with the books.

Releasing my grip on the stretched out black plastic, I allowed myself to rest against the faded reddish orange of my truck. His offer surprised me too much for me to form a coherent response at first, so I just stared at him. He didn't want me to move out. Why would he help me?

He reached down, gripped the bag in one hand and with a little grunt, swung it up and over into the back of the truck with the first two bags.

"Thanks," I murmured quietly.

He nodded. "So, you all set?"

I crossed my arms. "I guess. I've got another bag in the house. And a few odds and ends in the room. But I figured I'd come back for those later."

"You know you don't have to do this," he stated gently.

My eyes suddenly felt like someone had been rubbing them with sandpaper. "I can't just stop seeing him."

"I was fine with you seeing him. It was where and when that became the problem last night."

I shrugged. "I can't change that either."

His brow furrowed as his eyes darkened with anger. "If he's pressuring you-"

I held up my hand, cutting him off immediately. "It's not like that. We just need to be close to each other. We haven't even had sex."

He gave me a skeptical look, but I didn't blame him for that. He had caught us in bed together after all. "You're teenagers, Bella. You're too young for anything that serious. You can't let yourself get so wrapped up in one guy at your age. You need to see other people. And so does he."

My father loved me, and he was trying to look out for my best interests. But I really just wanted to tell him to butt out of my life. He didn't know what he was talking about. For the sake of keeping the peace though, I hugged him.

"I love you, Dad. We'll have to visit often. Maybe have a weekly dinner. You can come out to La Push and we can eat with Billy. I bet he'd like that."

His arms tightened around my shoulders for the shortest second and then they were gone. "I'll get that last bag for you. It's getting late. Want you to get where you're going before it gets too dark."

As I watched my father walking away sadness threatened to overwhelm me. I'd had him in my life for such a short time really. And I had wasted that time. As soon as I arrived in Forks I had become obsessed with the Cullen family. Instead of spending time getting to know my father I went shopping with Alice or watched Edward play piano. My relationship with Charlie wasn't any deeper than it had been when I used to visit him for a few weeks every summer.

And now I was moving out, never to live under his roof again. Oh, I knew if I promised not to let Paul into the room he'd let me come back. But I couldn't make that deal. I couldn't trade Paul for Charlie.

Besides, I was an adult. It was time to start acting like one. I needed to get a job. I needed to finish school. Then I needed to figure out what I was going to do with myself for the rest of my life. And Paul and I needed to get out of his father's house. I'd had enough of living under someone else's roof.

I spent an awkward evening alone with Paul's father. We ate dinner alone together at the kitchen table, during which we struggled to hold together a conversation. I did learn his name though. He wanted me to call him Mark rather than Mr. Lahote, said it made him feel old.

I practically ran to Paul's room as soon as the dishes were washed. Well, it was my room too I guessed. And it was free from uncomfortable interaction with parents.

Sitting on the bed, I looked around the room. It was small. Smaller than my room at Charlie's by half. And two people would be living in it. Not just sleeping in it like we'd been doing at Charlie's, but actually living. My clothes would have to fit in the drawers and the closet alongside his.

A band tightened around my chest. This shouldn't be happening so soon. We weren't supposed to be moving in together until our relationship had progressed naturally. If it progressed naturally. Until I was ready for that. I wasn't ready for a live-in situation. Sure, we shared a bed. But this was somehow different. My panties would be in his dresser.

My cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID only made it harder to draw in a breath. I couldn't talk to Jake in Paul's room. He would know. He would be angry. But my finger still pushed the talk button. I was clearly a masochist.

"Hello?"

"You okay? Paul's about to lose his shit and abandon his patrol."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine. Just stressed. It's nothing Paul should be worried about. Can you let him know?"

"Sure, sure…hey, do you need some company? Need to talk about it?"

That would be a fantastic idea. Have Jacob Black over to talk about my relationship issues. Paul would love that. He would be so receptive to listening to my worries after coming home to the smell of Jake all over me.

"No, I think I just need a good night's rest. I'll try to calm down so Paul can focus on his duties," I promised.

"K…if you're sure," he responded slowly.

"Talk to you later, Jake," I infused my voice with as much false calm as I could muster.

As soon as he was off the phone I fell back onto the bed to stare up at the ceiling. I hadn't even considered the possibility that Paul would catch any of my little freak out. I hadn't realized he could pick up on so much of my emotions, especially over any distance. The idea that he was so in tune with me was a little intimidating. I didn't know if I wanted someone to know that much about me.

I couldn't really let myself dwell on it though because Paul would apparently feel any major shifts in my emotions. I had to get myself to calm down. So, I focused on my breathing and pushed all of my worries to the side. Everything would be okay.

We just had to get through the adjustment period.

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

I glared at the map laid out before me. I was anxious to be by Bella's side. I had to find out what had driven her so close to an anxiety attack earlier in the evening. But I couldn't. My nose was filled with that sickening blend of overpowering bleach and sugar that triggered the urge to attack. The battle warlord of the Cullens stood across the worn picnic table from the pack.

Lighting at the park wasn't good, but there was no way in hell Sam was letting that thing into his house with Emily there. Not that I could blame him. So we made do with hurricane lanterns and our superior night vision. Still. Some damn electricity would have been fucking nice when it came to the strategy meeting for ensuring my mate's safety.

The slim, scarred finger jutted down on the map, landing on the wharf section. "They are holed up in three warehouses here. They only come out to hunt, or to send out raiding parties to Forks. We believe they've been trying to gather intelligence on Bella. Mainly anything carrying her scent."

A growl rolled through me. Sam reached over to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "They won't reach her. She's safe."

"How'd you get the intel?" Embry asked, frowning down at the map. "Didn't they smell you coming?"

The leech smiled back grimly. "She's not the only one with tricks up her sleeves. We have a contact in Seattle. He handles certain legal processes, documentation, for the family occasionally. With the right incentive, he makes a damn fine detective."

Sam's shoulders tensed. "You placed a human in danger for this?"

The creature across from us shrugged. "He was compensated well. This was for Bella."

While part of me was angered that he had risked the life of a person, which was against my very purpose in life, the bigger part of me couldn't be bothered to give a fuck. He was right. It was to protect Bella. How could I have a problem with that?

He jabbed the paper again in quick succession, hitting three spots. "Here, here, and here. We hit them simultaneously."

"And if there's a raiding party out," I shot out, my mind automatically going to Bella and the idea of leaving her alone and unprotected.

The Cullen nodded. "We of course leave a small contingency behind with her."

Sam frowned. "I don't like it. It's risky. We're splitting up. We don't know if we'll catch them all. We don't know if Victoria is with them. We should wait for them to come to us."

"We lose the element of surprise. If we wait for her she has all of the advantage. She chooses the time, the place, everything. Do you have any idea how many she could turn before she decides to come after you?"

"We'd be on home turf. We'd be fighting together," Sam pointed out.

The vamp shook his head. "Maybe. Maybe she decides to split up and hit us in two waves. It's what I would do. Cause a diversion to engage the pack and then sneak in with a smaller force to go after the girl."

My wolf began pacing at the words. That creature had put thought into how he would attack my mate. That didn't sit well with my wolf. Even if he had been thinking about it only as an exercise to better defend her, a vampire expressing those thoughts in front of me was just fucking stupid.

This was a waste of my time. They weren't going to come to a decision on anything. I stepped back away from the table. "You guys let me know what you decide. Either way I'll be with Bella."

Sam turned to me. "Paul, you're one of my best fighters. I need-"

I cut him off. "I _am_ one of the best fighters. Which is why I'll be by my mate's side. Defending her fucking life. Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do the same if it were Emily in this situation."

For once it was the Alpha who dropped his eyes first. Fuck this meeting. I was going home. Bella would be asleep so I wouldn't be able to find out what had been bothering her. But I could wrap myself around her. It would have to be enough.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: I didn't write Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

"So, you wanna tell me what had you so freaked out yesterday?"

I didn't even give her the chance to fully wake up before I pounced with the question. She was still rubbing sleep from her eyes. Still pressed up against me.

Her hands froze, fingers still in the corners of her eyes. It was kind of cute, that deer in the headlights look.

"Oh. Um." She lowered her hands slowly, wrapping her fingers up in the sheet she used only for modesty's sake. "I just had a little realization is all."

Well…that was…vague. "What kind of realization?"

"Just…We're living together."

I stared at her, waiting for the rest. For the terrifying, profound part that had sent her into hysterics. But nothing else followed. "That's all? That's it?"

She sent me a shaky smile. "Well, yeah."

I pushed a little away. "You threw a shit fit about _that_?"

She sat up. "Of course I did!"

"What the fuck do you mean _of course you did_? What is _that _supposed to mean? What's so bad about living with me?"

She reached for me, placing one small delicate hand on my wrist. "I just wasn't ready for that. We just had our first kiss, Paul. And suddenly we're living together? That's a huge jump. I thought it would take a year or more to get from point A to point B. But in a couple of days we go from a kiss to my shirts hanging in your closet."

Her voice was high and quivering near the end with a note of panic. Her side of the situation was coming at me from left field. I'd been working toward this from the beginning. The day we would finally be together all the time had been my end goal, something I had eagerly looked forward to.

But apparently she had dreaded it.

That thought made the wolf howl in agony.

I cringed. I needed to hold her, to comfort her. Okay, fuck, I needed to hold her to comfort me. But would she accept it? Would she appreciate it? My mind raced. I had to fix this. I had to make it better for her.

"Maybe we could find a place on the rez for you. Somewhere to keep you safe so you don't have to live here with me," I mumbled unhappily.

She was quiet for a long moment. I stared down at the small hand on my wrist. I loved the contrast of her pale skin against my dark skin. Her soft skin against my rougher skin. Her small little hand when it was in my larger grip. She was so small up against me. It made me want to protect her all the more.

But she probably didn't notice those things. And she didn't want me to be there with her, protecting her.

"I think that would be a step backward," she surprised me by stating calmly.

My head shot up. She was looking me in the eye, nervous honesty shining from hers. She was willing to stay. I had never heard anything more encouraging in my life.

"I don't see how me moving out now could help. I think it would only hurt your feelings and allow me to further isolate myself. Besides I wouldn't be exactly safe all by myself now would I?"

Taking her hand from my wrist I brought it to my lips, kissing the palm gently. "Thank you."

She smiled at me, her lips trembling a little with nerves. "How…how do you feel about all of this? Doesn't it feel the slightest bit sudden to you? Am I the only one freaking out here?"

Shit. She wanted me to talk about my _feelings _again_. _Fuck me.

"Uh…." I wracked my brains, trying to come up with a fast story to make her happy. She didn't want to be alone in this. But fuck, I was happy about the move.

I couldn't lie to her. My mouth wouldn't let me shove the words out. And the longer I struggled with the words, the more her eyes started to dim. Her face was falling. Fucking shit. I was hurting her with my silence.

"Fuck it, you should have moved in from the beginning. Would've saved a lot of trouble. You belong with me anyway," I blurted out. Fuck. I hated talking about this shit.

She stared into my eyes, trying to read me. "You're really okay with this? With me moving into your private space? Taking over your drawers and your closet? You're whole bedroom?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Why the fuck not? I don't have anything to hide from you, Bella. You're my mate."

She sighed and I could feel the frustration rolling off of her. Why couldn't I do this right? Why couldn't I handle this shit like Sam and Jared did? What were the magic words they'd said to make Emily and Kim understand?

"Doesn't it bother you that this supernatural imprint bond is basically forcing you to accept an intruder in your life? It's zero to sixty in point zero seconds and that doesn't bother you?"

I chuckled lightly with another shrug. "How can it bother me? That would go against the imprint wouldn't it?"

She frowned, finally pulling out of my grip. "I don't like the fact that you're forced to like me. I want you to like me for me."

I laughed again. "Is _that_ what this is about? Bella, you're fucking awesome."

She shook her head, scooting back away from me. "But you can't know if you would have felt that way without the imprint. You can't know if it's real."

It was my turn to feel frustrated. "Why the fuck does that matter? I feel that way now. Who cares why? It's not going to go away. I'm not going to wake up one day and not be interested. I'm not changing my mind. I'm not going to fall out of love or some shit like some Joe Blow off the street. So really, the imprint is better."

She was still frowning at me, so I tried again. "Look, it's not like the damn thing changed my personality. I'm still a huge asshole. I doubt it changed my preferences in people either. I'm sure I would have liked you anyway, I just got a little kick in the ass to move the whole thing along. That's all."

She seemed to consider my words. Then the sadness and anxiety lifted slightly from her. "That makes some sense."

I nodded. "Damn straight it does. We would have totally hooked up if we hadn't had the whole imprint thing. It just sped things up."

"We probably would have met through Jake eventually," she agreed cautiously.

I growled lowly but cut it out when she sent me a censoring look.

She sat up straighter. "So, I'm going to look for a job after school today. We need to start saving up for our own house. I don't want to live with your father forever."

"A job? What kind of job?"

She tilted her head toward one shoulder, lifting the shoulder to meet it halfway. "Don't know. Whatever I can find here in La Push."

Something inside my chest released, uncoiling tension I hadn't realized was gathering. "Oh. Well, that's probably good."

Although, I didn't like the idea of even less time with her. I did like the long range goal though. Our own place sounded good. Damn good.

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

Angela slid into the seat next to me at the cafeteria and leaned into me with a worried expression. "There's a rumor going around about you."

Her voice was low, quivering a little with nerves. I lowered my fork. It had to be about my living situation. There was nothing else interesting going on in my life.

"Is it true the Cullen's came back just so Edward could try to win you back?"

I snorted, shaking my head. "That's never happening."

She glanced toward the table the Cullens filled. "Are you sure? He's been staring at you since you sat down. He's interested."

"I'm not," I stated firmly.

She leaned back, out of my personal space. "Just like that? You two were soul mates a few months ago."

I shook my head. "No. We were stupid teenagers who confused infatuation for love. I don't feel anything but disgust for him now. Well, maybe a little pity mixed with the irritation. He refuses to move on."

"That's pretty harsh, Bella."

I stabbed my salad. "Yeah, well he insists on trying to shove his way between Paul and me."

"If your relationship is really as strong as you think it is then his interference won't damage it," she pointed out calmly.

The logic was irrationally annoying. She was right of course. But I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to deal with Edward's games. Paul and I had enough trouble building the foundation of our relationship without someone trying to tear it out from beneath us.

But wait. I never admitted to having a 'relationship' with Paul. Angela was too smart though. She'd seen through me from the beginning.

"It's still a pain," I grumbled, shoving the lettuce into my mouth. I chewed thoughtfully before swallowing and speaking again. "Although it is nice that he can't get to me as easily."

She gave me a confused look. Only then did I realize that I couldn't give her the real reason Edward wouldn't go anywhere near La Push. My thoughts raced.

"I, um, kind of moved in with Paul last night," I mumbled quietly, glancing around at the students around us. The others at the table were huddled in a small group, Jessica was regaling them with was surely a gripping and very detailing description of her prom dress.

Angela's mouth dropped open. Her attention shot down to the other end of the table and then back. Scooting her chair noisily across the floor, she inched as close to me as she could.

"What!" She whispered excitedly. "You moved in with him? Isn't that a big step for a couple who insists they aren't dating?"

Heat crept into my cheeks. "Yeah, well. Maybe only one of us has been insisting anything about the status of the relationship."

"Hmm. So now it's a relationship," she teased, her voice filled with humor.

I shrugged. "Friendship is a relationship."

Laughter followed my words. "Friends don't move in together." The humor faded from her voice. "That's a lot of commitment for high school. Or…did something else drive this?"

I paused, focusing on the way the salad dressing had pooled at the bottom of my plate. Angela was a friend. She was the one person in my life who had never judged me, at least the one person who wasn't manipulated by a supernatural force. I could trust her not to spread any rumors about me. And she wouldn't look down on me for anything I told her.

Speaking quietly I lifted my eyes to meet hers. "Charlie caught him in my room."

She flinched. "You were…"

I shook my head quickly. "Just sleeping. We don't…we haven't…I told you, we aren't like that yet."

Her eyebrow lifted. "Yet? But you expect to be, eventually."

I lifted one shoulder. "I…probably." Honesty suddenly caught up with me. "Yeah, I suppose that's probably where we're headed."

A brilliant smile spread across her face. "Now was that so hard to admit?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Edward didn't bother me that afternoon. Clearly he had heard every word of my conversation with Angela and he wasn't happy about it. I was a little surprised that he didn't attempt to make me see reason again. But perhaps he was still in shock that I had actually chosen Paul over my own father. To tell the truth, I was a little surprised about that myself.<p>

He didn't even stalk me as I made my way toward my truck. He was nowhere to be found as I rushed toward Paul. The tanned, well-muscled shifter leaned against the vehicle, his arms crossed and his head tilted back. As soon as I came into arms' reach he was in motion, unfolding his long arms to pull me against his chest.

"Hey," he greeted, speaking in a low voice.

The word sent a shiver down my spine. Or maybe it was the sexy tone he'd used. Something was up with him. Raising my chin I met his eyes. "Hi."

His lips pulled away from his teeth, revealing a predatory grin. "How was your lunch?"

"Fine," I responded automatically, unsure why he would ask such a random question.

Then I remembered the conversation I'd had with Angela and suddenly my face was on fire. Paul's responding laugh boomed across the parking lot. Embarrassed, I backed out of his embrace.

"We should get going. I'd like to find a new job today, remember?"

"Sure thing, Babe."

I paused to stare at him for a second. That nickname was a new one. He had opened the door and was waiting for me to climb in though and I knew his lack of patience. He wouldn't last much longer before picking me up to place me in the truck so I decided to ignore the new name.

"So, what type of job are you looking for? We don't really have an outdoor store like the Newton's shop on the reservation."

I shook my head. "I don't really care what the job is. I just need to get out of the Newton's. It doesn't fit your requirement of being on the reservation and I don't like the way that little creep watches me."

He beamed at me for a second before turning his attention to maneuvering the vehicle out of the crowded parking lot. "Might be able to talk to Quil's mom. She runs the general store. Quil used to help you a lot before, but now he's too tired from patrols. Or there's the diner. We do have a small library, but it's pretty small. Not sure if they'd have any openings, and I think it's only open on the weekends. The clinic might have a receptionist position open. Or the community center might have something."

He shot a look at me. "Actually…I can see that community center one…yeah. They usually have someone to go out and visit the shut-ins, check on 'em, cook 'em a little something if they need it. Maybe take 'em to a doctor's appointment if they need it. Last I heard the woman doing it started having some health trouble of her own. Sounds like the kind of thing you'd do."

I squirmed uncomfortably. It was one thing to clean and cook for Sue Clearwater, a woman I had a vague tie to, or for family and friends. But complete strangers?

Paul nodded. "Yeah. I think we should stop there first. Let you talk to them. This'll be good. Some of these people don't have family and no one ever thinks about visiting them."

I frowned. "No one?"

He shook his head. "Nah. The older generations are all busy making ends meet and taking care of their own shit. And what teenager in their right mind is going to go hang out with old people they aren't related to?"

I bristled. "Hey, sometimes the elderly are better company. They have some really good stories. And just because they're older doesn't mean they're worthless. They deserve some attention too."

He sent me another wide smile. "Exactly. See, I knew you'd like it."

The smile abruptly disappeared. "Shit. I forgot. I think that job is more like a volunteer position. I don't think it pays well."

I shrugged, staring out at the passing scenery, but my eyes were really seeing a little old lady sitting at home alone. "I can find two jobs then. I'll need something to fill my time while you're studying for your GED and patrolling anyway."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I wiped my palms on my jeans, belatedly remembering they were covered in dust from tidying up Ms. Harjo's house. Her daughter in law was supposed to be coming to stay with her, but the woman had been so embarrassed by the state of her house she'd kept putting the younger woman's visit off.

Gathering my courage, I knocked on the door and waited. It took awhile, as I had expected. But eventually Billy made his way to the door. Thankfully, I didn't see a disaster zone behind him. I'd been cleaning other people's messes for two weeks and I was exhausted. I would have cleaned for him of course, after calling to warn Paul. But I had really wanted the visit to be more about talking than cleaning.

"Bella!" His weathered face split into a bright grin. Billy never failed to make me feel welcome.

"Hey, Billy."

He rolled backward. "Come on in. Can I get you a drink?"

I waved off the social niceties as I made my way toward the couch. "Is Jake around?"

Billy sent me a look. "Now, Bells…I don't know if that's wise…"

I laughed. "I only ask because I want to talk to you without any interruptions. And I don't really want him listening in."

Billy relaxed into his wheelchair. "Ah. He's out with Collin and Brady. Helping them adjust to the change."

"Two more?"

My voice came out strained. Guilt weighed down on me. How could I not feel responsible for yanking the future away from two more of La Push's boys? The entire vampire population in and around Forks was located there for one reason only. Me.

He leaned forward to pat my knee. "They'll be fine. Every member of the pack will be strengthened with the addition of two more brothers. Did you know when the first pack was formed, it was much larger than what we have today?"

I shook my head slowly, still dazed.

"All of the tribe's warriors shifted, Bella. Every male that wasn't too young or too old. I don't know why in the generations since that has concentrated down to only teenage boys. But the gods know best."

Leaning my elbows on my knees, I met his eyes. "That's why I'm here, really. To ask about the legends. I'd like to know everything you can tell me about imprinting."

Billy didn't move. He didn't speak. I wasn't sure he was breathing. For the longest damn time he just stared into my eyes. Finally, he murmured, "that should be the job of your mate."

I threw myself against the couch cushion behind me. "Yeah. Sure. Because Paul and I are so good about talking things out rationally. And he's known for being the world's best at sharing and story time."

Billy chuckled. "As I was saying. It's supposed to be the job of your mate. But I know that won't work out well. So, I will answer any of your questions."

I sat up slowly, studying his face warily for any signs of deception. "You will?"

He nodded, a twinkle in his eyes.

"You'll answer my questions?" My tone was a little harsh, but I was put out by the way he was setting me up to fail. What if I didn't know an important question to ask? "You won't just volunteer any information you have?"

He shrugged. "This isn't a one time offer, Bella. You can come back to me if you realize you forgot to ask something."

It was the best I was going to get. So I started with the most important question that came to my mind. "Do I really have a choice in this? The others keep saying that he'll be what I need, that if what I need is a best friend for life, then that's what he'll be. But…I feel like I'm being manipulated, that something is navigating the two of us toward something more."

I couldn't get Edward's words out of my head. Was I being controlled? Was it unhealthy?

Billy inclined his head toward me, his eyes lighting up with something close to pride. "You are very good at listening to your instincts, Bella."

"So…is that confirmation that I'm being forced into a relationship with him whether I want one or not?" My stomach rolled with queasiness.

His lips quirked up. "Will it be against your will if you have been manipulated into desiring a true relationship with him?"

I growled in frustration. How did no one else see this as a bad thing? Well, no one other than the vampire who wanted me for himself because he liked the smell of my freaking blood. "But is it even a real relationship if it was built on a lie? If we were herded toward it? If we never even had a choice?"

He shook his head at me sadly. "Bella, nothing is a lie. Your reaction to everything that has happened is your honest reaction. Paul is reacting as only Paul would react. No one is creating emotions in you that do not already exist. However you feel for Paul is how you really feel for Paul. Stop trying to make this hard."

"Well it's certainly not easy!"

He sighed. "But it is. The whole point of imprinting is to show the wolf the person best suited for him. The one who compliments him, who makes him whole. What makes you think it would be difficult to form a relationship with that person?"

"I still don't understand how I could be that person for Paul," I mumbled.

Billy caught the words. He laughed loudly. "That is not a question about imprinting. That is a question about yourself and your mate. One every person asks by the way, from one side of the equation or another. No matter how they met their partner. I still don't know how I ever convinced Sara that I was good enough for her."

I racked my brain, trying to recall the other questions I had for him, before Edward got to me. But all I could think of was the possibility that I was being brainwashed by the imprint. And Billy had already made his opinion about that clear. Finally I remembered something. "Can you explain to me why Paul isn't like the other imprints?"

"Same reason you aren't. Because you aren't them. Everyone is an individual."

"Yeah, but they fell madly in love and into each other's arms almost immediately," I defended. "Paul isn't even nice to me half the time."

"Paul is an ass," Billy deadpanned. "And you aren't really the princess type. You don't do the swooning into the man's arms bit. Tell me, who exactly is he supposed to be catching?"

I stared at him, my lips clamped together. Well. I had no response for that. Because I had no intention of acting like a fool over a guy again. Not after the way I had behaved around Edward. Never again. And Billy was right. I couldn't imagine Paul any other way. He wasn't made for sweet words. Tact didn't fit him. And would I believe sweet words anyway? Or would I have taken them as even more reason to distrust him and his motives?

"I bet he shows his love in other ways, doesn't he? Looks for ways to make your life better, happier, healthier?"

I nodded slowly, my mind stuck on the 'L' word that Billy had used. It wasn't the first time I'd heard that word. Disturbingly, the first time had been out of Paul's own mouth. I tried to remember exactly what he'd said. Something about how he wouldn't fall out of love? Did that mean he was already _in_ love? Holy Crow. He _loved_ me. He'd said so himself and I'd just let the moment slip on by. I hadn't even realized what he had said at the time.

Billy's smiled widened. "And I bet you do the same. How often do you cook for him? Wash his clothes? Wait up for him because you know he'll be back from patrol in just a few more minutes?"

I shifted back further into the couch. "I live at his house. Of course I cook and clean for him. I've been doing the same for his father. I've been cooking and cleaning for half the reservation."

He scoffed. "Yes, I've heard. And that's wonderful by the way. But who are you going to call if you find out something horrible has happened to a loved one while you're at school? Who are you going to turn to for comfort?"

Scowling at him, I changed the subject. Because we both knew who I would call. "So, why isn't anyone else willing to accept that our relationship is perfectly normal the way it is?"

"Never said it was normal, Bells. Just that it was what passes for a working relationship between the two of you," He teased. Then he held up a hand as I started to argue. "All they've seen is happily ever after. You two don't fit their ideal of how things should be. The only way to make them see that the two of you work is to let them see the two of you working. You have to stop hiding away from them."

I grumbled but I could see his point. Emily and Kim, but especially Emily, would never see that Paul and I were fine how we were if I never let her see us. She would have to see with her own eyes the way we interacted before she could understand why that was our normal.

I stood up with a nod. "Thank you, Billy. This has been…eye opening."

He smiled kindly at me. "I'm always here when you need me, Bells."

I headed for the door, then stopped suddenly, spinning around to face him. "Can you help me with something else? Something not related to the pack?"

His eyebrows rose. "That depends on what you need."

I could tell by his face he already had an idea of what I needed though.

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

I hadn't realized how much I missed heading straight to Sam's from a patrol. Especially when most everyone was gathering for a big dinner. It was kind of a pack joke, that all we did together was fight or eat, but it was also true. We were eating when we weren't arguing, training, or out hunting down the vamps.

Since Bella came into my life I hadn't had much opportunity to enjoy the pack gatherings. She didn't seem to appreciate them the way I did and I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. So it was a shock when she told me what our plans were for the evening. I'd been heading out the door for patrol when she grabbed my arm. Part of me had hoped it was going to be the day she kissed me for luck as I set off. The larger, realistic side of me insisted that we needed milk and she wanted me to pick some up on the way home. When she stated that there was a cook-out at Sam's and she'd meet me there after patrol, it took me a few seconds to realize I'd even heard the words from her mouth. Those words didn't belong with her voice.

Opening the Uley's front door and walking right into their living room felt like coming home. Quil sent me a bright smile before turning back to the TV due to Embry's prompting. He groaned as Embry blew his character to smithereens. Bella wasn't in the room so I continued through to the kitchen. She had to be there, helping Emily with the dinner.

I was right, of course. She was stirring something at the stove. Sliding up next to her I threw an arm over her shoulders and pulled her into my side. Taking a deep breath I drew in a lung-full of her addictive scent mixed with the delicious aroma of whatever the fuck the girls were making.

"Hey. How was your day?"

She cocked her head to the side, truly thinking about the answer to the question. "Interesting."

Then she turned to me with a concerned look. "How was patrol?"

I shrugged, glancing around for Sam. "Usual. Need to debrief though."

I spotted him through the window over the kitchen sink. He was standing at the grill, probably flipping burgers and hot dogs. Squeezing her body closer to me for a second, I kissed the top of her head.

"Be back in a few."

Shutting the door behind myself did little to cut down on the noise from the house. Sometimes I missed my diminished hearing from my pre-shifting days. I couldn't ever get away from the noise. There wasn't a single spot on the reservation that was far enough from civilization that I didn't hear some mindless conversation or another. At least on patrol I had some peace, when I ran out into the leg that pushed out into the Olympic National Park. At the farthest point from the reservation I couldn't hear anyone, at least not through my ears. I'd never escape the mental link.

Sam lifted a hand to wave at me over his shoulder as he continued flipping the chicken. I walked up to him to watch him work and so I could speak as quietly as possible. Just in case Bella decided to follow me outside.

"Had a little excitement tonight," I stated evenly, making an effort to keep my cool.

Sam's grunt of response was nearly drowned out by the sizzling of grease in the fire.

"Blond Bitch chased 'em in from the Forks area. They came straight toward me. I took out one and Seth got the other."

Sam nodded. "Good."

"They had Bella's pillow from her old room. At her dad's." My blood started to boil all over again as I spit the words out.

Those leeches had been in her old room. They'd been targeting her. There was only one reason for them to grab a keepsake from her room. Her scent was all over that pillow. Well, her scent mixed with theirs now. They wanted something to track her with. No way in hell I was letting that happen.

"You need to end this. Don't care how. Just get it fucking done."

Sam sighed, finally turning away from the grill. "You know why that's too risky, Paul."

"Sitting back and waiting for them to make the first move is too damn risky. Why the fuck are we giving them time to plan? Why are we giving them time to gather more resources? Attack the motherfuckers before they're any stronger."

"That is not your call to make."

"So grow a fucking pair and make it."

"Paul…" Sam growled warningly.

I stepped away, heading back inside before I did anything truly stupid. Still, I couldn't help throwing a parting shot over my shoulder. "These assholes are trying to kill my mate, Sam. Put yourself in my shoes. Tell me you wouldn't be charging after them as soon as you knew their location."

She was still at the stove, jabbing a fork down into a pot of steaming water. I needed her calming influence. Knowing my next move would embarrass her with the audience didn't slow me down in the least. Walking up behind her, I slid my arms around her slim waist and rested my head on her shoulder.

Her small hand covered my conjoined hands a moment later. "You okay?"

The concern in her voice was almost worth the rift in my relationship with my Alpha. I nodded against her shoulder. "I'll be fine."

She hummed in response but it sounded doubtful. Her shoulder was hard, tense and her back was ramrod straight. I knew that her eyes would be darting around the small kitchen, looking for any witnesses. She wasn't a fan of public displays of affection. Once again, I had to wonder if her problem lay with the act itself or with the partner.

I shoved the ugly thought aside as I straightened, putting a few inches between us. "Dinner smells good."

She shrugged. "We're having grilled chicken. Mashed potatoes. Corn bread. Some vegetables. There's a ham cooking too. Simple food. But filling."

"Dessert?"

"Pies." A smile peeked at me through the hair that fell across her face. "I made peach."

My own smile stretched my cheeks to the brink of uncomfortable. "Thanks."

Her shoulder popped up again, brushing off my response.

I rolled my eyes before reaching over and gently pushing the shoulder back down. "Learn to accept some damn gratitude."

Red flooded her cheeks. And suddenly everything on the stove was the most fascinating thing Bella had ever encountered. It was like I wasn't even there anymore. Chuckling I turned to survey the rest of the room and what I could glimpse of the living room through the entryway connecting it to the kitchen. Irritation tried to overtake my good mood when I caught Emily trying to watch us from the corner of her eye, but I squashed that shit. As long as the woman wasn't upsetting Bella, she wasn't my problem.

"So how was work today?"

I felt the sleeve of her shirt brushing my bare arm as she shrugged, her favorite response. "It was an average day. I cleaned for Ms. Harjo. Her daughter-in-law should be able to visit now. She's really a nice woman. I'm glad I got to spend some time with her."

"Woman is a pack rat. Her house is a disaster area and a hazard." I frowned. "It's not safe for you to be there. If there was a fire, you'd never get out in time."

She nudged my arm. "Which is the reason I'm there. That woman can't possibly clean it all on her own. She needs help. I'm young, and fit. I can help her."

I snorted. "Yeah. Like the crazy old bat is going to let you throw away a single newspaper from 1943."

She sighed. "Okay. So she is slightly more attached to some of the junk than I would like. But we're working through that. She let me throw away some yarn today that was so weak it was falling apart."

I glanced toward her, waiting for the 'but'.

Her shoulders fell. "Then she made me promise to take her to the store to replace it. There's a baby blanket pattern she has that she's been dying to make…since 1976."

I couldn't help it. That wry expression on her face sent me over the edge. I burst out laughing so hard I had to bend over to keep from falling over. The next thing I knew two small hands were planted firmly against my shoulder, knocking me off balance. My hip hit the floor first but I rolled with the landing, just as I'd trained. I let my momentum carry me through the roll, planting one hand against the floor as I went to assist myself back up to my feet.

Bella stood watching me, her arms crossed and a petulant look plastered across her face. Finally she shook her head with a little grin and turned back to the food.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

The bed was too comfortable and the arm wrapped around my waist made me feel too safe. The sun streaming in through the window had annoyed me awake earlier but it hadn't provided nearly enough incentive to get up to start the day. Besides Paul was still sleeping. He'd been patrolling until midnight so he needed the rest.

It wasn't like I had anywhere to be for awhile anyway. Sure, I needed to stop by to visit one of the shut-ins. She was one of the oldest residents of La Push. That visit could easily wait until after lunch though. And from her house, if I timed the visit right I would be going straight to Billy's for the cookout.

And that was the real reason I couldn't talk myself into pulling Paul's arm off of my stomach, climbing out of the bed and starting the day. I needed the comfort he provided. Charlie would be at the cookout. In fact, he was the reason the cookout was being held in the first place. I hadn't seen him since the day I'd gone back to pack up my things. It was time to start repairing that relationship.

"You think too much," Paul muttered from right behind my ear.

I hummed in agreement. I did think too much.

"Dinner will be fine. Charlie's going to be so happy to see you he won't even care about the reason you're living here."

"You think so?"

His arm tightened around my waist, squeezing my back up against his stomach. "Yeah. I do. He's got to be missing his little girl."

"What about his reaction to you?"

Paul chuckled. "I can handle myself."

I flopped over to my back, barely disturbing the arm around me. "You cannot hurt my father."

He snorted. "I'm not going to hurt the fucker. But I'm not going to let him hurt you again either."

"Paul…" I started to push myself off the bed but he trapped me with the arm across my stomach.

He leaned into me, placing his face closer to mine. "He is _not_ going to hurt you again."

A shiver ran down my spine at the sound of his deep voice, filled with protective rage. Of course my reaction didn't go unnoticed. Paul's lips quirked up in a cocky little smirk.

"What's wrong? You cold? I could warm you up if you'd like."

I pushed against his shoulder. "Shut up."

Moving too quickly for me to track, he leaned down, pressed a kiss to my lips and then sat up. He started talking, but my brain was too mushy from the kiss and the growly voice to really follow what he was saying. I was still staring at the ceiling, my heart pounding when my vision went dark.

I yanked the veil from my eyes to find that it was a pair of my jeans. Paul was standing by the chest of drawers grinning at me. There was a shirt already in the air, heading my way. I snatched it before it too could land over my eyes. He waited to throw the bra until I was preoccupied with sitting up.

He had a bowl of cereal and a banana waiting for me when I walked into the kitchen. We were both silent as we ate, but it was a companionable, comfortable silence. Paul even hopped up to wash the dishes as soon as I had sipped the last of the milk from my cereal bowl.

Turning from the sink, he shot me a smile. "So, you ready to go?"

"Go?"

"Yeah. Go. To the store. Jake's patrolling most of the day so Billy needs us to pick a few things for the cookout. I told you about this in our room."

Right. While I was still dazed. Stupid deep voice. Stupid morning kisses. "Yeah. Sure."

* * *

><p>I slowed as we approached the little cottage. "You don't have to come in if you don't want."<p>

Paul had followed me out of the house when I left to visit Mrs. Reese. He always followed me on my visits around the reservation when he wasn't patrolling. Usually he stayed in the truck to work on his GED. But he hadn't brought the study materials with him.

"Nellie's cool," he said with a shrug, bounding up the steps of the porch in front of me.

Nellie? He was on first name basis with a little old lady? Odd.

Said little old lady took one look at the person pounding on her door before giving a little squeal of delight and yanking him into the tightest hug she could manage. I hung back, staring in disbelief. This couldn't be Paul. It was a Paul look a like. His stunt double. Paul wouldn't let someone manhandle him the way that frail old woman had.

The woman released the oversized youth, stepping back to smile up at him. "I do believe you've grown another half inch, Young Man."

Did Paul just _blush_?

Suddenly he turned, holding a hand out toward me. "Nellie, I want you to meet Bella."

I stepped forward hesitantly, still unsure exactly what was going on. How did he know the woman? Were they possibly related? Maybe she was a great-grandmother? Great-aunt perhaps? Judging from the number of lines on her face, possibly even great-great something or other?

Paul beamed down at me. "She's my imprint."

My eyes widened as I met his proud gaze. He couldn't do that! He couldn't be sharing the pack secrets with the community at large. Sam was going to throw a fit. He was going to beat the tar out of Paul for that slip of the tongue. Girlfriend! He should have said girlfriend!

Before I could slow my mental panicking enough to devise a good cover story for his slip up, Nellie pulled me into an embrace. The smell of Ben-Gay and moth balls overwhelmed me, suffocating all of my brainwaves. Who could think when they were trying desperately to breathe?

Finally, the deceptively strong little old lady pushed me away from her body and back into clean, breathable air. A bright smile highlighted every wrinkle but the sparkle in her eyes distracted from them.

"I'm so happy to meet you. Oh, it will be so nice to have another imprint I can talk to."

I'm fairly positive my jaw hit the floor.

So Paul ended up cleaning for Nellie while I had tea and cake with her. I couldn't really turn the woman down though. She wanted to talk to a fellow imprint. How could I pass up the opportunity? She was lonely and I needed all the help I could get.

Her wolf had been from Ephraim Black's pack. Apparently, he'd continued to phase long after the rest of his pack had stopped. He had watched them age with their families and pass on. He'd fought and defeated any passing vampires that wandered too close to the tribe, all on his own. All because he hadn't met the love of his life while he was young. It was romantic. And sad. The man had lived a lonely, isolated existence for years before he happened to catch sight of a little girl gathering wood.

"So, how did you find out that Samson was a wolf?"

Nellie smiled. "Samson told me he had a secret for me, something he had to show me. Then he took me out to the woods. Of course, I thought he was going to try to get fresh. I was hoping, you know. But he turned into a wolf instead."

Paul snorted from across the room where he was dusting. "You're a dirty woman, Nellie."

She giggled in response.

"And how'd you take the imprint part," I asked cautiously.

She sat straighter, her face filling with mischief. "I spit on him."

"You didn't!"

"No shit?" Paul chuckled.

She nodded with a laugh. "I did. Then I yelled at him for trapping me into a relationship with him. I had plans to get out, to see the world. I don't know where I thought I was going. Times were different back then. There weren't many opportunities for a native woman. Especially one with no schooling to speak of. Why, I couldn't even read until after I was married and Samson made me learn for my own good."

The couch dipped behind me. Apparently Paul had abandoned his dusting. "So, how'd he take that?"

She shook her head, that little grin still on her face. "How could he take it? He patiently wooed me."

Patiently? That certainly wasn't a trait they all received along with the super hearing and strength.

Paul leaned forward to peer past me. "Yeah, exactly how long did it take you to see reason?"

Her smile widened. "Oh, a good two, three weeks."

Every single sign was pointing toward a romantic relationship with Paul. Even Nellie had married her wolf, and she'd spit on him when he told her about the bond. What chance did I have of escaping wedding bells?

I was dying to ask her, or Billy, or anyone really, had there ever been a couple who hadn't wound up together? They said I had a choice, but I really didn't see one any longer. It wasn't even that I thought Paul was such a bad guy to be forced into a relationship with. It was the forcing part that I took issue with. I mean, who wouldn't be at least a little upset about such a pervasive manipulation? Even if it was with someone who made me feel as good as Paul did.

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Charlie sent me death glares all through the dinner portion of the evening. I couldn't really blame the guy though. As far as he knew I was slipping it to his daughter every chance I got. And hell, I would be if we were at that point yet. So yeah, I could overlook the threatening glances.

I wasn't going to stand for the silent treatment much longer though. Sure, he could ignore me until the day he died. He could use one fingered sign language or fucking mime everything he had to say to me. I didn't care. But he'd hardly said a fucking word to Bella since he walked in the door. If it went on for two more minutes I was dragging his ass out the door for a little talk.

She leaned a little harder into my side, seeking what comfort she could. And it was all hers for the taking. I slid an arm around her shoulder and leaned down to speak quietly into her ear.

"It'll be okay. We'll get through this."

She sent me a grateful smile before turning back to her plate.

"This steak is great, Billy. Thank you for cooking."

He shrugged. "Actually Jake did the cooking."

"Oh?" Bella turned to Jake, sending me a nervous little glance as she did. "You did a good job, Jake."

Jake acknowledged her words with a smile and a nod. "Thanks Bells."

Quiet descended on the table once again. I ate my potato quickly, then my green beans, leaving only the steak. The problem was, I couldn't cut it while my other arm was still around Bella. Which meant I had to pull it away from her. Giving her one last squeeze first, I slowly pulled my arm back.

"So, Bella, what are your plans once you graduate?" Billy asked her, but his eyes kept moving over to watch me.

Did he think she hadn't discussed her plans with me? That I wasn't going to support whatever her plans were? The old man was insane.

She set her fork and knife down, leaning forward slightly as excitement buzzed through her slight frame. "Well, you know how I've been working with the elderly here on the rez. I've been thinking about getting a degree in social work, specializing in the elderly. We've got a large population here in La Push and frankly, they're being ignored. It's shameful."

Charlie set down his own cutlery. "You're working with the elderly here?"

Finally. Showing some non-judgmental interest in your daughter Chief. About fucking time. Bella didn't need any further questioning or encouragement from her father. She launched into a description of the different people she had been meeting and the different types of needs they had. She was so caught up in sharing all the stories about them, all the wealth of knowledge that these people still had available to share if anyone would just stop and visit with them, that she completely forgot about eating the rest of her dinner. Ordinarily I'd rag her about that until she finished. But I figured that for just this once, talking to her father without a yelling match was more important.

Charlie was even asking some relevant leading questions, getting her to open up more about her job and her plans for the future. So once everyone else was finished I scooted my chair away from the table and started clearing the dishes. They continued talking as if no one else was in the room. But she did push her mostly full plate over to me as I started to walk away. And Charlie held his up for Jacob as he stood.

Somehow I ended up at the kitchen sink with Jacob, washing dishes side by side. The only way to make the evening more uncomfortable was to have Charlie walk up behind me and ask me what my intentions were toward his daughter. But fuck, the night wasn't over. He had time to spring that shit on me.

"So," Jake started, casting a look over his shoulder at the father and daughter leaning toward each other over the table, still talking quietly. "You okay with her going to college?"

I handed him a plate to rinse, shooting him a glare. "It's what's best for her. Of course I'm fine with it."

He took the plate slowly, not really paying any attention to it as he tried to puzzle out my words. "You're really okay with it?"

I shrugged, scrubbing the sponge in fast circles on the next plate. "Sure. She needs it to help the people on the rez. And it seems that's what she loves. Helping people. So that's what we'll do. Get her a degree."

"The separation will be hard."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself mentally against the day she would drive away from me. It would be awhile, but the day would come too soon. "Yeah. She'll take the basic courses online. She won't leave until she has to."

My voice must have betrayed the stress I felt at the thought of her leaving because suddenly Jake's hand was squeezing my shoulder. "Hey, we'll be here for you. And you'll get to visit her right? It's not like she'll go out of state. She'll just be a short run away. I'm sure you'll spend every minute you can with her when you aren't patrolling. And before you know it she'll graduate and she'll be back."

I nodded, blowing out a lung-full of air I hadn't realized I had been holding. Another deep breath gave me time to soak up a little more comfort from the hand that still rested on my shoulder. Then I shrugged it off.

"Okay, enough. Rinse the fucking dishes."

He snorted but turned back to his side of the sink to finish rinsing the clean dishes in silence.

Charlie's chair scraped the linoleum floor as soon as I handed over the last plate, almost as if he had been watching me. "Let's head outside for a minute, Son."

I had no doubt I was the person he was talking to. Jake sent me an encouraging smile as I hastily wiped some of the soapy water from my hands. I followed the police chief out the front door, my hands still damp from the suds.

He stopped just off the front porch, swiveling to face me in the pale moonlight. I leaned against the porch railing, trying to appear unconcerned. Anxiety was churning my dinner into a ball of cement in my stomach though. This was Bella's father. If he hated me then she would be unhappy. I had to find a way to appease the man.

"I don't like you," Charlie stated evenly.

I clearly had an uphill battle.

"But…somehow you've made her happy," he continued.

I nodded, not sure what the right response was. "That's all I care about, making Bella happy."

"And her plans? How do you figure into those? How is she going to walk away from the person who is making her so happy? She says she's going to leave now, but when the time comes, what's going to happen?"

I stared at him. Stared at his narrowed eyes, his twitching mustache over his pursed lips. "I' m not going to hold her back. She's going to college. She needs that. She needs to know that she can do it. That she's strong enough. Good enough. I don't care what I have to do to make sure she does it, but she's going to do it."

He was quiet for a long moment, long enough for me to start believing that maybe the interrogation was over. But then he opened his mouth again. "And where do you come into those plans? Where do you fit into her future?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "Wherever she lets me."

"And you really think she's going to be willing to just walk away from you? You think she's not going to spend all her time worrying about what you're doing back home? Whether you're messing around on her?"

The idea was so ludicrous I couldn't hold back the burst of laughter. He crossed his arms and glared at me in irritation. I mirrored his stance but grinned back at him. "Hell no she's not going to worry about that. She knows me better than that. She knows she doesn't ever have to worry about another girl. She's the only girl I'll ever care about."

The anger on his face only intensified at the words. "That right there is what I'm talking about. No seventeen-year-old kid should be talking about my daughter like she's the love of his life. You're both too serious for your age."

Ah. We were finally to the heart of the matter. His baby was growing up and he didn't like it. I supposed I could understand a father not wanting his daughter to have a serious, life-long commitment starting before she had even graduated from high school. But this wasn't a normal first love situation. When I said I loved her for life, I meant it. There was no changing my mind, no way I would fall for the babysitter in the midst of my mid-life crisis. Bella really was it for me.

"I'm sorry that you aren't comfortable with it, but that doesn't change anything," I finally replied.

Charlie's jaw hardened. "You do realize that she won't be going anywhere in life if she ends up knocked up at nineteen, don't you? You are at least using protection?"

Once again I snorted before I could stop myself. "The best fucking kind. Abstinence. Your daughter is as pure as the day she was born."

He gave me a look. "You were caught in bed together, Paul. She lives with you."

I shrugged. "Feel free to take her to a clinic and have her examined. If you can get the woman to agree. She's kind of stubborn." I pushed myself off the railing. "I love Bella, Chief. I'm not about to push her into anything she isn't ready for. And I'm sure as hell not going to do anything that isn't good for her."

With that said I turned and made my way back up the porch steps and into the house. If I stayed outside with him for another minute I would say something unwise. The goal was to repair my relationship with him. Not bash his fucking face in.

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I wasn't on the back porch a full minute before Jake followed me, holding out a glass of tea. After thanking him for the drink I turned back to stare out at the dark trees on the other side of the back yard. My mind wasn't on the shadowed limbs and gently swaying leaves. What were Charlie and Paul discussing? Was Paul behaving? Or was his attitude coming out to play?

"It's good to see you, Bells," Jake's voice held a smile.

I sent him a small grin, to humor him. "You too, Jake. How are you? Keeping up with your school work?"

He snorted. "I'll have time to worry about school once the leeches are taken care of."

"Jake. Don't let my problems take over your life!"

He gave me an incredulous look. "I'm not going to let her get you because I have a history test to study for. Are you insane?"

He slammed his glass of tea down a little too hard before gripping the railing of the porch to hunch over it angrily. "We need to end this shit. What are we waiting for? What is she waiting for?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. It's making Paul anxious too. He's losing patience with Sam. Especially after the pillow incident."

Jake turned back to me, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell is a pillow incident?"

"You know, when Paul caught them trying to steal a pillow from my room. Probably trying to take back items with my scent to spread through the army, horde, whatever you want to call it. So they can zero in on me when they attack."

A piece of the porch railing cracked off in Jake's hands. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

I stepped back, putting a little space between us in case he lost his control and phased. "Paul insisted Sam attack before Victoria had any more time to plan but Sam refused. Said it isn't safe enough. He thinks it's best to wait until she makes her move."

Suddenly Jake released the railing, shoving himself away from it. He lowered his head and began to pace. "That's the most asinine thing I've ever heard."

The back door opened, and Paul stepped out. He was at my side faster than I expected. Already on edge from keeping an eye on Jake's control of his temper, I jumped when Paul's hand brushed against my back. His fingers tightened against the curve of my side.

"You ready to go?" His voice was tense, his eyes trained on his pacing pack brother rather than me.

Jake stopped at the other end of the porch, turning to glare at Paul. "You're just sitting back and letting Sam make this dumbass decision?"

A low growl vibrated through Paul's body, down his arm and into my back. "I can't do shit about his decisions. Seems to me there's only one person in the pack who can."

Paul pulled me into his side and started pulling me toward the back door. "Come on. Let's leave."

As he dragged me through the door, I turned my head to see Jake shaking in the dark, his face pulled into a thoughtful scowl.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Disclaimer: Not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

He'd made it a point to ignore me in the one class we shared since the family had come back to town, so it surprised me when Jasper settled in the seat next to me. My breath caught in my chest as he turned a small, hopeful grin on me. It took a second for my brain to kick into action. But then theories began to stream. Had Alice finally won him over? She could be persuasive. She had probably used sex for leverage.

Or maybe Edward had gotten to him. Manipulation was his after school sport. Or maybe it had nothing to do with them. Maybe Jasper had sensed my turmoil about the influence the imprint was having on my emotions toward Paul and had decided to take pity on me. Would he have any insight into it? He might have more than the tribe members, who only knew through legends.

He leaned forward. "Relax."

I tried to smile at him. I did appreciate the fact that he had resisted the urge to force me to relax. "How have you been Jasper?"

He nodded his head toward me in response. "I'm well. I do regret the distress some of my family members have been causing you lately." His gaze flicked around the room quickly before returning to meet mine. Well, it looked quick to me; it was probably slow and leisurely for him. "I've tried to explain to them that you're much happier now than you ever were before. But they refuse to believe me."

I wanted to grab his shirt, drag him closer and demand an explanation. Instead I leaned forward as close as I could get with the desks between us, forgetting all about the night he had tried to eat me. "Is that really true though? Am I happier with Paul? Is it real or is it a fabrication?"

His brow knitted. Hunching forward to match my pose he met me half-way in the aisle between our desks. "Bella, don't let them get to you. Every afternoon when you walk out of this building to meet him you light up. He does the same."

Frowning, I looked down at the stained carpeting. "That's hard to believe. We just don't have the same relationship as the other imprinted couples."

Jasper shook his head. "What you have is real. And reality is not all happy all the time. Only a fool would think otherwise."

I started to sit back all the way in my seat before stopping. Taking a quick second to check for anyone close enough to overhear, I asked Jasper a question that had been lurking in the back of my head for weeks. "Alice…she seems to think that Edward and I…that we're still going to…"

Jasper shook his head, his face suddenly hard and angry. "Has she made any further claims of that nature? I had a talk with her that afternoon about misdirection and flat out lies. She promised to be honest from now on."

I thought hard and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've been trying not to listen to what your siblings have been saying since then."

His lips quirked up in a little grin. "Good. Keep that up."

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

"There are no good options," Jake stated plainly. He met the eyes of everyone gathered, Quil, Embry, Jared and Leah, before continuing. "Sam refuses to attack. He believes our strength lies in defense. He wants to sit here and wait for them to come to us."

"Pussy," Leah muttered under her breath.

Jake sent her a glance. "Jasper would prefer to hit them before they can gather any additional information or strength. A surprise attack on our part would also be out of character and possibly give us the edge that we need if she has managed to out number us significantly."

Jared crossed his arms. "So why'd you want us to come over?"

Jake took a deep breath. "We really only have a couple options. We go along with Sam, which is a shitty ass option in my opinion. Or we don't."

The group shifted warily at that.

He held up a hand to stall any questions. "We can try to do this without his consent or knowledge. Ask forgiveness rather than permission. He'll be pissed but there isn't much he could do once it's all said and done. It keeps the young ones out of the mess too. Or," he swallowed nervously, his eyes darting over everyone again, "…I take the Alpha position and order the attack."

Everyone was too shocked to say anything at first. Then they broke out into excited shouts. I sat back watching the other guys arguing the merits of the different plans. After a few seconds Leah moved to my side. We stared at the others in silence for another minute before she spoke.

"You know he'll have to take over, right?"

I nodded. "No other way this'll work."

She sighed. "If he doesn't even realize that, then what's the point? What the fuck kind of Alpha is he going to be?"

"He'll learn. We get rid of this threat and he'll just have to deal with the normal shit. He can handle that."

She stared at me. "You really want an inexperienced teenager in charge of the plan to save Bella?"

I turned to her with a snort. "Who else? He cares about her almost as much as I do. He won't let anything hurt her. Sam's concerned about what's best for the tribe and pack as a whole. Me and Jake care about Bella first."

"And did you think about what happens when he's Alpha and he suddenly has to think about the good of the tribe and the pack?"

I shrugged. "Not like Sam's gonna sprinkle magic Alpha dust over his ass. He's not going to wake up that morning knowing that shit. He'll have to learn it. By then this'll be done."

"You know, I'd be offended at your lack of concern for the rest of us, if this little plan of yours didn't get me out from under Sam's thumb."

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

Nellie was a tidy woman by nature, so I didn't have a lot of cleaning to do when I visited her. I rushed through the sweeping and dusting, anxious to sit down with the woman. I needed to get her take on my situation with Paul. After all, she'd been through it. And without Paul there to overhear and be hurt by the discussion, we could speak freely.

Finally, I was able to settle across from the woman, tea in one hand and homemade bread slice in the other. Seriously, the woman was a super hero of some sort. No one should be able to do so much at her age. If I could still sit up in bed at her age I'd count myself lucky. Or wish for death, depending on my general health.

I couldn't bust out with my question immediately, so we had to go through all the social niceties first. Eventually though we had spoken about the weather, about my grades and her latest doctor's appointment. She asked about Paul and I thought that was the perfect lead in for me.

"He's doing well…but…I do have a question. I couldn't ask it last time while he was here." I watched her face carefully. I could easily offend her at this point. "I just…I'm struggling with this imprint business and it seems like I'm the only one who has a problem with this. How did you go from spitting on a man to loving him? I can't reconcile the two. I can't seem to accept this mythical force manipulating my emotions, my views of another person like this."

She stared at me for a long moment before letting out a laugh, shaking her head back and forth. "Oh child, you act like this is the first and only time you've been manipulated."

All I could manage in reply was a dumb look.

"What do you think has been happening since the moment you came screaming into this world? Hmmm? Your parents have presented their world view, manipulating the way you see everything from the way you iron your clothes to the way you cook your steak. You went to school and you were introduced to other kids and teachers. And every single one of them effected the way you think. Your friends affect the way you feel about people. Have you never had a friend point out a boy you hadn't really thought about but because she said he was cute suddenly you couldn't stop thinking about how attractive he is? That's manipulation of a sort. Why, every commercial you see is manipulating you, influencing you in subtle ways to buy their product. Or not if you find the product or marketing offensive in some way.

"The culture you have been raised in has influenced you. If you had been raised in another country you'd have a different language, accent, customs. You've been raised in a land that allows you certain freedoms, but you could have been born into a culture that would punish you for being alone with a man you weren't related to. And your upbringing has influenced you, manipulated you, to be offended by that very thought."

She smiled kindly at my shocked expression. Reaching forward she patted my knee. "You can't hold this double standard, Dear. You accept the guidance of your parents, your culture, your friends, your teachers. The imprint pointed the boy out to you, just like a giggling teenage girl. It's influencing you, yes. But so is everything else. The only reason it would be an issue is if Paul was a bad person. If he was unsuitable for you. If the influence is bad then you worry about it. If it's good then be thankful."

Well. She'd certainly given me something to think about.

* * *

><p>My mind churned over everything Nellie had told me while Mark, Paul and I ate our dinner. I shoved the chicken, steamed veggies and pasta in without really tasting any of it. How many daily interactions influenced the way I thought? TV had some effect, but it was negligible since I hardly ever watched. But books, those certainly had ample opportunity to change my outlook.<p>

And look at how much the Cullens had changed me in such a short time. Imagine what my childhood friends had done to me. They'd had years to work on me. And my mother. She wouldn't have done anything intentionally malicious, but the woman had me from birth. I was helpless and naïve for a good part of that time. At least she had introduced me to a wide variety of experiences. That had to be beneficial on some scope, right?

Should I really be throwing such a hissy fit about the imprint bond's persuasive view of Paul? I mean, he'd be a lot steadier than Renee had ever been. His focus would always be my best interest. That might get irritating, if he was always under foot, always there. But at least I knew I had him. There were no guarantees in any other relationship.

"Why don't you go lay down?" Paul's voice jerked me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see Paul and his father watching me, both wearing slightly worried expressions. All of us had empty plates. It was a little embarrassing to realize that I'd eaten my entire meal on auto pilot.

Pushing away from the table, I picked up my plate and reached for his. "I'm fine. I'll wash up."

Mark shook his head. "Boy tried to get your attention three times. Think maybe he's right. Go on to bed."

I considered arguing. I was an adult after all. But this was his house and he had no reason to let me stay. If he decided he'd rather not deal with me then I had nowhere else to go. Nowhere but Sam's anyway and that was not a palatable option.

Nodding, I turned and headed off to bed. I didn't even bother with a shower, instead changing into my pajamas and climbing under the sheet. I hadn't even grown bored of staring at the ceiling before Paul was pulling me into his side.

"Tell me what's wrong."

I shrugged against his chest. "I'm fine."

He growled. "Bullshit."

"It's something I have to work out for myself, Paul," I warned him. There was no way I could talk it out with him. I couldn't express my thoughts in a way that wouldn't hurt him.

How could I? What were the right words for that?

He squeezed me closer. "Anything I can do to help?"

I shook my head, taking a deep breath of his comforting scent. "Just hold me."

"Always."

* * *

><p>My mind was still twisted in knots when I walked into my second job the next morning. At least it seemed to be a fairly slow Saturday morning at the general store. The only people there when I walked in were the Ateara's, Quil's mother Rowana and Quil Sr. Each sent me a warm smile before turning back to their individual pursuits. Rowana was perched over what looked like the general ledger and Quil Sr. was perusing the paper.<p>

I glanced at the ledger as I helped myself to the fresh coffee. "Wouldn't it be easier to keep track of everything with a computer?"

She sent her father-in-law a look. "It would. If someone would agree to learn to use one."

The older man casually turned the page, ignoring us both.

"You look tired, Dear," Rowana commented as I settled on the stool next to her.

I was grateful every single time I came to work that the Ateara's kept stools behind their store counter. "I didn't sleep well last night."

That warranted a little attention from the old man. His lip quirked up and he sent me a knowing look. My face flooded with heat. I knew exactly what the old man thought had kept me up. I'd never be able to look him in the eye again.

"Do you need to go home to rest? It's a slow day," Quil's mother offered.

I shook my head. "I'm fine. Do you have anything in particular you want me to work on today?"

She chewed on her lip for a second before motioning toward the back room. "I did need you to inventory the back. But if you aren't up to it today it can always be started tomorrow."

I hopped off the stool, grabbing my mug of coffee. "I can do it."

I was not going to turn into coma girl again. The problems in my life were not going to take over, debilitating me until I was a vegetable. The quiet of the store room might be the perfect place to think. I could count and think at the same time. Besides, leaving to rest would basically be admitting that Quil Sr.'s assumptions were true. I would pass out from exhaustion first.

Two hours later I was working diligently away, my mind actually pleasantly blank from the repetitive work when a cleared throat sent me jumping half a foot off the ground. The intruder started laughing immediately in a deep, boyish laugh. Whirling around I found Quil propped up against the doorframe. He probably would have fallen if not for that doorframe, he was laughing so hard at my expense.

"Can I help you?" I asked peevishly.

He slapped his hand on his thigh before rising to his full height, making an effort to control his humor. "Hey, Bells. Sorry for sneaking up on you."

"Liar."

He shrugged. "Yeah. So, what'cha up to?"

"Working. So if there isn't anything you need, I'm going to get back to that."

He sauntered into the room to settle on a crate of canned green beans. "You can take a break. Mom says you've been working for hours. We aren't slave drivers. Sit down. Relax."

Narrowing my eyes, I moved to sit on the ground near him. What was the real reason he was initiating a conversation with me?

"How was patrol today?" I asked, trying to feel out the reason for his visit.

He shrugged. "How was the Chief's patrol around Forks this morning?"

I frowned. "How should I know?"

A second later my heart began to beat a little quicker. Did his presence have something to do with Charlie? Was my father hurt? Killed?

Quil leaned back against the shelf behind him. "Well how should I know about the pack patrols today? I didn't run 'em."

Gritting my teeth against the mischievous grin on his face, I scolded myself for jumping to conclusions about my father. I was more tired than I had realized. "You do have that whole pack mind thing."

"But I have to go all furry to use that. Haven't had a chance yet today. Slept in. Went down to the beach. Talked to some girls. Got a few numbers. Came here to see my favorite pack sister."

My head was starting to hurt. I could tell he was dancing around whatever reason he had come to see me. Why didn't he just come out and talk about it? "Is there any specific reason you came to see me, Quil?"

"Why do I have to have a reason? Haven't seen you in awhile. Thought I'd say hi."

"Hi, Quil," I stood, brushing dust off my rear. "Now I have to go back to work. Bye, Quil."

He sighed. "So…Jake's decided to take up the Alpha."

I froze. My gaze was glued to the box of matches on the shelf in front of me. I couldn't move, couldn't even shift my eyes. Like that little red and blue box could tell me why Jake would choose now of all times to make such an important decision.

"Is that right?" My voice sounded flat.

"Yeah. It's the only way, really."

The odd note of desperation in his voice freed my body. I swiveled slowly to face him. "The only way to what?"

Quil looked away, down at the floor, then the ceiling, at the shelves, finally settling for staring out the window. "We can't just sit here waiting to be attacked. We can't protect you like that. We have to go after that bitch, before she figures out a way to get to you."

The room darkened a bit, became fuzzy around the edges. It started to sway.

"Shit!" Quil rushed forward, grabbing me by the arms to lead me to his earlier seat.

I collapsed gracelessly, leaning forward to hang my head between my knees. I watched the spots dancing in front of my eyes as I thought about what Jake was doing. He was changing the course of his life, for me. First Paul, now Jake. Paul had no choice but to rearrange his life for me but Jake…Jake didn't have to do this. Jake had an out. He didn't have to be responsible for the pack unless he wanted to. He'd never wanted that.

Sam seemed happy with the role. It defined him. It was such a large part of who he was. What would happen to the pack when Jake stepped forward? This could tear the pack apart. Over me. This was horrible.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So...you may have noticed this chapter is a little late. Sorry about that. RL got in the way. Doesn't know its place. :-)<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Disclaimer: Not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

The morning and afternoon seemed to drag on, every necessary task taking longer than it should. My hours in the storage room were more like days. But eventually I had completed my shift and I was released. I couldn't go home to Paul though. I had to head straight to my appointment with a widower. He needed help cleaning his house and a little company. I spent a couple hours preparing food for him as well. Food that would freeze easily. He'd have meals for the better part of a month.

The visit dragged on. He regaled me with stories of his youth. The exact same stories he had told me the first time I had visited. I plastered a polite smile on my face and feigned interest as best I could as I stood over his stove. As long as I nodded and made a little sound of interest every so often he was happy.

Finally I was free to drive home to Paul's house. Paul had been on patrol in the morning so he should be waiting for me or asleep. But he would wake up as soon as I walked into the house. He always did.

I saw him immediately as I opened the front door. He was on the couch, dozing to the sound of a chick fight on Jerry Springer. His eyes were still closed as I approached the couch but he moved his feet out of my way. I took the offered seat, reaching for the remote on his chest as his feet slid across my lap.

His hand darted up to cover the remote before I could take it. "I'm watching that."

"Through your eyelids?"

His lips quirked up slightly. "Yes."

"We need to talk."

He let out a deep breath, then lifted the remote and clicked the off button for the TV. His feet shifted off my lap. Then he was sitting up, facing me from the far side of the couch.

"What's wrong now?"

"You can't let Jake take the Alpha."

He stared at me for a moment before shaking his head and looking away. "You're out of your fucking mind. What the fuck do you think I'm supposed to do about it?"

"I don't know," I cried out angrily, my feelings more than a little hurt that he hadn't even taken the time to listen to me. "Talk him out of it. Tell him how stupid he's being. That it isn't necessary. "

He gave a harsh laugh. "And if it is necessary? If it isn't stupid?"

"He never wanted this! He can't throw his future away on me! Why does he have to do this for me?"

Paul leaned forward. "We can't let her continue to gather intel on us. We have to attack first. Sam refuses."

I shook my head. "It doesn't have to be like this. We can just go behind Sam's back right? Ask forgiveness later? Then Jake could still avoid this whole Alpha decision that we all know he doesn't really want to make."

"You think we haven't considered that? You do remember that handy little communication device we have when we're phased? Right? The way we read each other's mind without the courtesy of a single ounce of fucking privacy? You have no idea how hard it is to _not_ think about something that you know the other guys shouldn't know about. Sam would know within thirty seconds."

"How is this way any different then? Won't Sam know that Jake plans on taking over?"

"What makes you think he doesn't know now," he asked, giving me an almost belligerent look.

Oh.

Oh. Sam knew. Sam knew that his reign was effectively over.

How was he handling the news? Was he going to try to fight it or was he going to accept the change? And what about Emily? How would she adjust? She was used to being the Alpha's mate. If Jake was the Alpha would everyone still go to Emily and Sam's house just to hang out? Would she still find herself cooking for large groups of people every day? Or would the boys start fending for themselves?

Because of my mess lives all around me were changing. When would this end? When would the collateral damage stop? I just wanted it all to stop.

Standing from the couch I waved a hand through the air like I was wiping the whole conversation away. "Just do whatever needs to be done. End it."

I didn't make it two steps away before heated arms were wrapping around me, pulling me against a well-muscled chest. I let him hug me for awhile. Then I let him pull me back to the couch.

I didn't even protest when he pulled me onto his lap, wrapping those comforting arms around me again.

"We're going to get the bitch," he assured me.

I even believed him. I just didn't like the way they had to go about it to keep me safe. So I told him that.

The shoulder beneath my head shifted up and down. "Eh, he'd have done it eventually anyway. This is Jake we're talking about. He was born for this. Billy's been molding him from birth to step up and lead. If he hadn't have phased he would have left the reservation and made something of himself. Become a public figure or something. He would have had to. It's in his blood."

"He didn't want to though," I whined into his chest.

"Doesn't matter what he says. He thought different. He was growing frustrated with Sam's leadership. Only a matter of time before he lost it and forced the issue."

"If you say so."

"Trust me."

And I did.

* * *

><p>I hugged the tub of brownies to my chest. Was it my imagination, or had my life turned into a series of uncomfortable group dinners since meeting Paul? He was driving me toward yet another. One that could possibly turn out to be even more awkward than the one with Charlie.<p>

It was a pack meeting, at Sam's house. To discuss the change over from Sam's rule to Jacob's. The timing of it all and the subsequent attack on Seattle's horde of vampires. I don't know who had the brilliant idea to turn it into a dinner party.

"It's not as bad as you're imagining." Paul sent me a reassuring look before returning his attention to the damp road.

"I don't see how it could be anything but awful. Sam is being forced to sit down and eat dinner with the guy overthrowing his reign, and all his supporters. Jake may realize this is necessary but he's not ready for this. He's still too young. This is bad all around."

Paul shrugged. "We're all too young for this shit. Doesn't change a fucking thing. Still has to be done."

I hugged the plastic container closer to myself, ignoring the way the edge dug into my stomach. "Maybe it is safer to wait. What if she's not there? What if the pack is away and she's headed here to attack? I'll be unprotected."

A low growl filled the cab. A shiver ran down my spine at the sound. I knew he'd never intentionally hurt me, but then, Sam hadn't meant to hurt Emily either. She'd just angered him while standing too close. Paul wasn't exactly angry, not at me anyway. But he was upset by the idea of Victoria coming after me. And there wasn't exactly any room for me to retreat at the moment.

"We're not stupid, Bella. We're not running off half-cocked. You think we're going to take off leaving you unprotected? Or leave at all without checking to make sure they're still there?"

"You…you have a way of checking?"

He snorted. "The blonde leech we've been working with has a spy watching the bastards in Seattle. He's supposed to call when they make a move."

"Except he'll be too busy being dead if they catch him," I groused.

Paul didn't respond to that. Probably because he knew I was right. We both knew the odds weren't good for anyone spying on a group of vampires. He had no chance at all if he was human.

"Who gets to stay behind with me?" I asked after awhile.

"Hmmm?"

"You said I wouldn't be unprotected. Who's going to be here protecting me?"

He chuckled mirthlessly. "Who the fuck do you think, Sweetheart?"

"You?"

He nodded.

"You'll be slaughtered if one of her scouting crews just happens to stop by while the others are away." Fear slithered through my stomach at the thought of Paul going up against such impossible odds.

What would I do if he didn't come back from a fight like that? Well obviously I wouldn't survive, since that would mean the vampires would be alive and still coming after me. But in general, what would I do if he didn't come home from a patrol one day?

The pain in my chest was so sharp it shut my lungs down.

"Stop thinking about whatever the fuck you're thinking about. Nothing is going to happen. Seth, Brady and Collin will be around too. I'm not going to be worrying about protecting the whole damn tribe while I'm watching you. You're my priority."

My lungs expanded suddenly, filling with a loud gasp. I became aware of warm pressure on my knee and glanced down to see his large hand squeezing it. When had he put his hand there?

"Oh…okay." I nodded. "Okay then."

I wasn't completely comfortable with the idea that the fate of the tribe along with my own life could possibly rest in the hands of only four wolves, three of which were the youngest and smallest. But I was starting to recognize Paul's facial expressions and the one he was wearing was his stubborn one. I knew that one well. He wore it most often. There would be no changing his mind.

We rode in silence for another few seconds before I had to say something. "So, how much has Sam argued about the plan?"

"He hasn't."

I turned to Paul in surprise. "Seriously?"

I watched him search for words as he turned onto Sam's road. "He's not going to undermine Jake's authority, especially not just as he gains it."

I thought about that as Paul pulled the truck up next to Jared's car. Sam was being so sensible about the whole business. So mature. It made me like him more.

Paul pulled the keys from the ignition and turned to me. "You ready to go in?"

"I guess."

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

Bella's instincts proved right. Sam sat at the head of the table, not saying one word against Jacob the entire time. But we could all feel it. He might not say anything against the change in leadership but he was bitter.

It was Emily's struggle to adjust that was the hardest part to watch. She served the food with a wavering smile and red eyes. You'd think her family was splitting up. It wasn't like that though. We weren't going to stop coming around or anything. Woman had some fucking awesome muffins. She couldn't kick us out if she tried. We just wouldn't have to obey her man while we were sitting around her kitchen table.

When the time came to have our little heart to heart, I pulled Bella up closer to my side. Her calming influence would come in handy. The change in leadership wasn't upsetting to me personally. It was beneficially to Bella so I was all for it. But it had the rest of the pack so charged up and it was always difficult to maintain my own stance and emotional ground when the rest of the pack was working at me.

Bella kept me grounded though. As long as she was in my arms I would be focused on her and not any bullshit temper tantrums that might be thrown. Plus, I could move her out of the way of any danger a lot faster if I already had her in my grasp.

Sam set both elbows on the table, knitting his fingers together in a loose grip. "I'm going to hand over my position to Jacob first thing in the morning. I know this affects all of us, but I'd rather do this one on one. It's going to be hard enough submitting. I've never had to do that."

He looked around the group, meeting the gaze of each of us briefly. His struggle with the situation was evident, and hard to witness. "I'm honestly not sure my pride would allow me to do this with witnesses. I think I might fight back if my pack was there when I was forced to give it up."

Bella flinched against me. She took in a deep breath, like she was about to say something. I squeezed her up against me tightly, praying she would get the hint and keep her damn mouth shut. None of the guys needed to hear whatever the fuck she was going to say. They didn't need to hear her guilt or her pity party.

Yes, we all loved Bella and we were outraged that a leech had targeted her in such a sick little game. One no human had any chance of surviving. But frankly, we'd protect any tribe member in the same situation. Because this was our job. All of her guilt over the whole thing was bullshit. It was insulting to every member of the pack. Did she really think we would sit on our asses and watch an army of vampires take out a random stranger off the street? So where the fuck did she get off thinking we wouldn't fight for her?

Jake nodded. "I don't think that's an unreasonable request. I have one as well. I know you don't agree with what we're doing, but we feel it's the best way to protect a member of this tribe. Will you help us? I won't force you. But I know your experience will be invaluable."

"You'll need every body available. I'll be there."

The tension still hadn't left Jake's face. "And afterward? Will you stay? Will you continue to be part of the pack, without questioning my every move?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Like you did?"

Jake shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well?"

Sam glanced toward Emily. She slid a hand onto his arm, communicating something to him without words. I watched the silent conversation with a shot of pure jealousy. When would I have that with Bella?

He leaned back, throwing the arm over Emily's shoulder. "Em and I have talked about maybe starting a family. After this whole vampire revenge thing is cleared up and things settle down you won't really need me. When that happens, I'm going to stop phasing. Focus on my family from now on."

The pack stared at him in shock. Well, Jared and I just stared at him, nodding. That made a hell of a lot of sense. Emily wasn't getting any younger and Sam wasn't getting any older. Not as long as he continued to phase. Once the threat was gone it was the perfect time for him to become a family man. Get married. Have a few babies.

A grin lifted my lips. He'd be so happy. And so would Emily. It was what she always wanted, to be a homemaker. Sam saw the grin and tilted his head in acknowledgement. Then he repeated the gesture, his eyes on Bella. I glanced down to see her smiling at Emily and Sam, but the smile didn't quite meet her eyes.

As soon as Sam looked away from her the smile dropped from her face, to be replaced by a pensive look. I watched her, wondering what she could be thinking about so hard. But then my mind wandered to my own future with Bella. How long until I stopped phasing? Would she ever want to have children with me?

Sam leaned back. "I just wanted to tell you that I've enjoyed leading you all and as hard as it's been, I'm going to miss it."

Emily leaned harder into his side as his voice threatened to break. I looked away, embarrassed at the look on the older man's face. Was he seriously about to cry?

"Sam," Jake started softly, an almost pleading tone to his voice. "We're still going to need you. I'll need you. I'm going to need your wisdom."

"Which I can provide without phasing," Sam replied.

The others started in on their campaign to convince Sam to continue phasing. I remained silent though. In his shoes, I'd have done the same.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**Disclaimer: I didn't write Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

I awoke with a start, my mind racing before I even opened my eyes. Sam was relinquishing his command, or possibly already had. I don't know why I hadn't realized immediately, because it was obvious, but Jake wasn't going to wait to attack. The pack would head for Seattle immediately.

The warm arm across my stomach pulled me into a firm chest. I closed my eyes tightly. Would I ever feel my face pressed against this chest again? Paul would stay behind to protect me, but what if Victoria showed up while the others were gone? All of the pack together hadn't been able to defeat her. I wanted to have faith in Paul's abilities. But faced with the image of watching him fight with Victoria one on one, I couldn't help but fear for his life.

I couldn't live in a future without him. Aside from the very obvious fact that my life wouldn't last more than thirty seconds in this specific scenario, in general, I couldn't imagine my future without him.

Eyes still screwed shut, I slowly kissed the bare skin in front of me. Nuzzling up a little higher I kissed my way up to his neck. His arms tightened around me.

"What are you doing," he asked on a pained groan.

I smiled slightly and moved to the spot just below his ear. Warm hands moved down to my hips, gripping just a bit tighter than he normally would. It wasn't unpleasant. At all. Although…I could be more comfortable…if I just…

I threw my leg up over his hip, pressing myself up against him as close as I could.

The groan turned to a growl. And then he was rolling us so that I was on my back and he was hovering over me. His hands cradled my head, turning it to the side to give him easier access to my neck. From the new position I couldn't really reach his neck anymore but I was a bit too preoccupied with the way he was attacking mine to care.

I gasped as one large palm landed just under my breast. For a split second part of me wondered what I was doing. When had I decided I was ready for this? But then his thumb moved, and oh...and his lips and his teeth nibbling...

My body starting moving in rhythm with his. He growled again, an approving sound as his lips found mine again. It was amazing really, how our bodies just knew this dance on instinct. I could never be that coordinated if I put any thought into it. And for crying out loud would my mind just shut up and let me enjoy this? I forced myself to concentrate on the sensations he was creating in me rather than on my analysis of those reactions.

I lost myself to the feel of his hands and his mouth. Heat trailed along my body, following the path of his fingers and palms. And boy howdy did he know how to use those hands. Vaguely I was aware of clothing being pushed aside. I wriggled beneath him, trying to assist him in any way I could, anything to get closer to that warmth, to the fire.

And then the trail of fire stopped.

His fingers were frozen on the string of my pajama bottoms.

He lifted his head to look into my eyes for a long moment.

"Fuck," he muttered, dropping his forehead onto mine.

Both of us were breathing heavily. My shirt was pushed up so far it might as well have been off. And I had a deep ache that he could be doing something about but instead he was just hovering over me, his eyes clenched tight and an angry look on his face.

"Yeah, I thought that's what we were about to do," I complained, impatiently grinding against him. "So why aren't we?"

He was seriously about to turn me down? Didn't all guys want to have sex with their girlfriend? Anytime anyplace, right?

His eyes opened to meet mine with a disappointed expression. "That's the problem. This is just fucking to you, isn't it?"

He rolled off of me raising his hands to his face. "Shit, Bella. I want to be more to you than just a walking, talking dildo."

I pushed up to support myself on one elbow. "I don't see you as a walking, talking dildo, Paul."

"Right. You're doing this because you love me."

Shame flooded me. How had I let things go so far while we were both still so confused about where things stood between us?

I shifted uncomfortably, mostly from the embarrassment but I was also starting to grow chilled from the sudden lack of his body heat. Then I realized that I was practically half-naked and rushed to pull my sleep shirt down.

Staring at his chin, because I was too ashamed of my behavior to look him in the eyes, I muttered, "I _am_ doing this because I care about you."

He snorted in response.

Laying a hand on his chest, I tried to sort my feelings into some sort of sense so I could vocalize them. A question was the best I could manage. "What if this is our last morning together?"

He sighed and pulled me against his chest again. "Babe, we're going to be fine. She isn't going to come here. And if she does we can handle her. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not worried about me!" I argued. "What if she hurts you in the fight? What if you kill her but she mortally wounds you in the process? How am I supposed to deal with that?"

He was quiet for a long time. "You worry about me, huh?"

"Of course I do," I murmured into his skin.

His hand moved from my back to my head, where it began stroking my hair in long strokes. "Is that right?"

Raising my head I finally met his gaze. "Yes, Paul. I do."

Something flashed in his eyes. Something warm but fierce at the same time. And then he was dragging me back up to his lips.

* * *

><p>I arrived at Emily's front door later than I had originally planned. As soon as I thought back to the reason I had been detained, my cheeks blazed red. They were still burning when the handle turned and the door opened. It wasn't Emily standing there though. It was Sam.<p>

My throat constricted immediately. Holy crow. What was I supposed to say? The change over had to have happened already. The pack, Jake's now, would be finalizing their plans to attack Victoria. Paul was there now. Helping them plan what could turn out to be a suicide mission.

"Bella," Sam greeted me gravely.

"Um, hey Sam," I strung out the syllables, still not sure what to say. "Is Emily in?"

I felt like a five-year-old asking if my friend could come out to play.

He shook his head. "She left for the grocery store as soon as Jake showed up. She'll be home soon. Want me to have her call you?"

"Oh." I glanced behind myself at the driveway, as if she could have stealthily parked her car behind me without my knowledge. My truck was still the only vehicle parked there though. Turning back to Sam I shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable under his gaze. "I guess."

I started to back away, then paused. "Sam? I, uh, I'm sorry about the way everything happened. I don't think it's right. For what it's worth I'm not happy about the risk they're taking either."

His eyes narrowed as he took in my words.

I rushed to explain myself further. "It's not fair to anyone. You were doing a good job as Alpha, Jake is too young and he never wanted to be Alpha in the first place. You were right, it's foolish to take the pack away from their primary focus just to protect one person. My life isn't worth risking so many pack members like this."

Sam's face flooded with anger. "Don't. Don't let me hear you talking like that again. And don't let any of the others ever hear that shit. Don't devalue the sacrifices others make for you. Ever. It's disrespectful and spiteful."

My stomach dropped at his words. I hadn't meant to come across as rude. He had misunderstood everything I said. I had been trying to show him that I related to him, not slap him in the face.

"I didn't mean-"

He cut me off with a brisk hand movement. "I know what you meant, Bella. Everyone knows what you mean when you spout that bullshit. You think you're worthless. That none of us should waste our time and energy protecting you. We should focus on the people of La Push and let you fend for yourself."

The lump in my throat grew. His words were nothing I hadn't thought for myself, but they sounded so much harsher coming from him.

He shook his head. "Have you forgotten that you _are_ one of those La Push residents now? That we'd lose one of our pack members to grief and probably insanity if something did happen to you? Face it, you're one of us now and we take care of our own."

I swallowed hard around the lump. I couldn't answer him. Not without angering him even more. I hadn't thought about that, not really. I'd spent a lot of time over the past day or two worrying about what I'd do if anything happened to Paul. But I hadn't really considered what Paul would do if anything happened to me. How that would in turn effect the rest of the pack.

The porch suddenly became very interesting. I lowered my eyes. Sam might not be an Alpha any longer but he still had one mean glare.

He let me stew in my misery for a few more seconds before sighing and holding the door open wider. "Emily will be home in a couple minutes. Come on in."

Part of me wanted to stick around on the porch to wait for her. But that was the embarrassed, childish part of me that didn't want to face the error of my recent behavior. So I followed him into the house and accepted the coffee he offered as graciously as I could manage. Then we sat at the table, sipping at our mugs, avoiding each other's eyes as we waited for Emily. Neither of us spoke. I had no idea what to say after our little discussion. He was probably still caught up in the morning's events anyway.

As soon as he stood I knew that Emily had finally pulled into the driveway. So I followed him outside to help unload the groceries. Then I helped them put everything away. As soon as all of the sacks were empty Sam took off, leaving me alone in the kitchen with Emily.

It was at that point that I realized something. I didn't know what I was going to say to her.

I wanted her to know that she wasn't going to be abandoned now that Sam wasn't the Alpha. But we didn't have the kind of relationship that allowed for that kind of conversation. Not really. I scrambled for a panicky second on the blank surface of my thoughts.

Then my mouth opened and words spilled out. Words I had never expected to say and didn't really want to be saying at that moment. But I couldn't seem to stop them.

"Paul and I had sex this morning and I don't know how to act around him now."

My mouth slammed shut and I found myself staring at her with wide eyes.

Why had I said that to her?

How was that less intimate than telling her that she wasn't going to be left alone now that her man wasn't in charge? _How_?

After a moment of stunned silence Emily reached forward, gently grabbed my arm and led me to the couch. I followed. What else was I going to do? Jerk my arm out of her grasp and run out of the house? I'd had enough of playing the drama queen.

She studied me again for a quiet moment before speaking. "I assume this was the first time the two of you have been together?"

I nodded. "It's the first time I've been with anyone."

She squeezed my hand. Her eyes searched my face, trying to get a reading on how I felt about the morning's activities. "What's bothering you about this?"

I frowned. "I just…I'm not ready to be a full-on couple. He's going to expect that now. He's going to expect hand-holding and I love you's and the whole package. I'm not there yet."

She sat back a little. The struggle against judgement was evident on her face, but I did appreciate that she was at least trying not to judge me. "Does he know that you aren't ready for that though? You know he won't push you to do anything you aren't ready for."

I snorted. "Unless he thinks it's in my best interest."

A small smile flitted across her lips and she nodded once in concession.

"I'll hurt him if I try to tell him I don't want that. I don't want to hurt him," I complained.

Her smile widened. "You care about him."

"Of course I do," I replied with impatience. "But I'm not ready for white picket fences and wedding vows."

Both of her hands flew up. "Woah. Slow down. Has anyone started talking marriage? Or are you just scaring yourself now?"

Taking a deep breath, I thought back. "Well, he's mentioned that he wants that."

She gave me a look.

"But he's also encouraged me to go to college and get my degree so I can come back here and do the social work I'd like to do with the elderly. He talks about how hard the separation will be and about running out there for visits every weekend and maybe in the middle of the week when he doesn't have patrol. So, I guess he doesn't mean marriage right this minute."

"See. He's not pressuring you. He does want to have it all with you. The house, the wedding bands. Probably even kids. But at the right time. He's just dreaming ahead. Nothing wrong with that."

"What if we ruined things this morning by rushing into things? He might have shifted that whole schedule ahead, thinking that I'm ready for it all now."

Emily started shaking her head immediately. "They know us better than that, our wolves. They can sense things about us. What we need. What we feel. But if you're really worried about it, talk to him, Bella. That's the only way to really keep everything good between you anyway. You have to talk to each other about the way you feel."

"You and Sam don't seem to need that. Neither do Jared and Kim."

"I can't speak for Jared and Kim, but Sam and I talk to each other every day, about all sorts of things. Usually when we lay down at night." Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at me, "I didn't say you should do it with an audience."

I grinned back at her. "And that's how you keep your relationship so strong?"

She shrugged. "It's what works. We did a lot of talking while he was trying to win me over and then when I was healing from this."

She held a hand up to her scarred cheek. Her expression suddenly went serious. "Do you really think we started out so lovey-dovey? He was dating my _cousin._ Loved her before he met me. I was the other woman, Bella. The guilt was heart breaking."

Why hadn't I ever thought about their story from that angle? I'd seen the scars for myself. I knew Leah's side. I'd sympathized with her. But what about Emily's side? I could relate to her more than I had realized. She had resisted too.

"What made you give in?"

She smiled softly, but her eyes had a sad glint to them. "When I was in that hospital bed, there was only one person I wanted with me."

I nodded, thinking back to that very morning. Waking up, scared of a future without Paul. He was the only person I wanted laying there next to me.

She patted my leg. "Just keep talking. And if you're going to keep having sex, make sure you get on birth control. You did use some kind of protection, right?"

I nodded quickly, my cheeks burning.

"Thank goodness. Last thing we need is Chief Swan trying to shoot the boy for knocking you up."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So...that was short. But I felt some important things happened here. <strong>

**And yeah, I've already caught some good-natured teasing about skipping over the lemon. But if you've read my work before (or glanced at my profile page) you'd know that I always gloss over the lemon. The M is there for the excessive language. I write in the family room with my boys running around me, and occasionally sitting down to join me and read over my shoulder. I don't want them to learn about the mechanics of sex through fan fic. Because seriously. Fan fic sex does not a good education make.  
><strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Disclaimer: Not responsible for Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

One minute Emily and I were folding laundry quietly and the next we were surrounded by excited Quileute youth, all trying to talk over each other. The wolves had descended. Sam leaned in to give Emily a kiss as Paul pressed himself up against my side.

"What do you have to eat?" Quil asked hopefully.

Most of the group followed him into the kitchen in search of a snack, not waiting for an answer. Even Kim followed in their wake. But she was probably more interested in calming the horde of locusts descending on her friend's kitchen rather than joining in the raid. Only Jake, Sam and Paul stayed behind with me.

Jake nodded in my direction. Was it my imagination, or did he hold himself with more confidence? "Morning, Bella."

Nerves shot through me again. He would know. He would know what Paul and I had been up to that morning.

Movement from the corner of the room distracted me from my embarrassed freak out. They had moved so quietly I hadn't noticed them, but Sam and Emily had isolated themselves in the corner and were wrapped around each other. The picture the pair of them made was almost desperate. My stomach sank. I had been right. Jake's pack was moving out immediately.

I pressed myself tighter against Paul's side. His arm tightened in response. "It'll be okay."

"You can't know that. This is a battle. It's dangerous," I whispered, as if lowering my voice would keep anyone in the house but Emily from hearing me.

Jake stepped forward. "We've been training for this nonstop for weeks now, Bells. We've got this. We'll be there and back in no time at all."

So cocky. So sure of himself and his pack. He didn't even know how many he was pitting himself against and yet he was positive they could win without a real fight.

Paul stepped between us, positioning himself to look me in the eye.

"Stop," he ordered in a quiet but firm voice. "No doubting. No negative thoughts. The guys need to know you believe they can do this."

Jake snorted. "Shit, Bells. We're doing this for you. Least you could do is have a little faith."

I leaned my head forward against Paul's chest, closing my eyes in embarrassment and shame. They were both right. I needed to show a little solidarity. Breathing deeply, pulling in Paul's comforting scent, I took a moment to compose myself, then stepped back, squaring my shoulders. Turning to face Jake, I put on a brave face.

"Of course you'll be fine."

He nodded at me. "Damn straight." Clapping his palms together, he turned to Sam. "Right. So the girls will stay here with Paul. Collin, Brady and Seth will run patrol and Seth will have Leah's cell phone stashed in his pouch. He'll try to call the house to give a head's up if he needs to."

As if he would have a chance to do that if Victoria did show up. But I kept my doubts to myself that time and only nodded in response. I was learning.

"Let's head out," Jake called out.

And then just as quickly as it had filled, the house was empty again save for Emily, Kim, Paul and me.

* * *

><p>Paul hovered anxiously in the doorway, his head twitching from side to side. I met Kim's eyes across the table. She gave me a sympathetic smile before turning her attention back to her text book. I don't know how she could concentrate on her math homework. But then, maybe she couldn't. She'd been on the same problem for fifteen minutes. I knew, because I couldn't keep my eyes off the clock.<p>

Slamming his hand into the doorframe suddenly, Paul twirled around to face the living room. "Emily, get your ass in here. I can't protect you all if you're not in the same fucking room when the attack comes!"

A second later Emily pushed past him, full laundry basket in hand. "I had to switch the wash over. I only took a second."

"Two fucking minutes."

Three actually, but there was no way I was adding fuel to his fire.

"So your whites are worth your life?"

Emily shook her head with a gentle smile. "They've got everything under control. Even if there's a group sent out here, nothing will make it this far into the reservation."

Paul snorted angrily. "Right. The Three Musketeers will handle it." His eyes darted to mine. "I'm not putting Bella's life in the hands of those kids. Don't separate yourself again, Emily, or you'll be on your own when the shit hits the fan."

She opened her mouth to reply but the phone rang, cutting her off. Paul got there before she could, his long legs crossing the floor in a couple steps.

"Hello," he growled out.

His jaw clenched and his brow furrowed. His eyes sought out mine. "Thanks."

He slammed the phone back into its base and turned his back to us. For the longest time he stayed like that, his shoulders tensed up too high. I thought about walking over to him but he was shaking a little. It might not be the safest time to approach.

Finally, after a few minutes he turned to us. "That was Seth. He phased back for a second to let us know the attack has started. She wasn't there." Paul's eyes jerked over to Emily's. His lips pulled back from his teeth in an angry snarl. "Sit your ass down and stay with the others."

She didn't argue.

Paul began pacing around the table, around the three of us. His body was visibly shaking. I'd never seen him so close to losing control. If he lost it in the kitchen one of us would be hurt. The room was too small.

My chair squealed across the floor. Paul was at my side before I could stand. "Where are you going?"

I didn't answer. Standing, I wrapped my arms around him. I tried to concentrate on calming thoughts. It was difficult though. I was terrified. Victoria wasn't with the others. She could be anywhere. She could be on her way to attack me. She could be on the reservation already.

For all we knew she had two armies and the one we had attacked was the decoy.

I shied away from that thought. It would only panic me more, which would be no help whatsoever in calming Paul down. So instead I thought about the good things with Paul. I thought about how nice it felt to be held by him when we were watching TV. How I enjoyed the way he laughed, with such abandon. I thought about the way his confidence made me feel more confident.

The chest I was plastered against expanded as Paul took a deep breath. He blew it out loudly, blowing my hair around my head as he did.

"Thanks, B," he murmured into my hair. "I needed that."

He gave me one last squeeze before releasing me. "Okay. We do need to stick together from here on out. We don't know if the bitch is coming here or not but it's a pretty safe bet she'll try. I can't protect you all at once if you aren't together."

We all nodded.

"If you still want to do your laundry just let us know and we'll go with you," Kim's quiet voice offered.

Emily laughed shakily. "I think it can probably wait."

Paul nodded. "The room's a death trap. Too small. No maneuvering room to defend ourselves if she shows up while we're in there. I like the kitchen and living room. Multiple exits. Fighting space. Room for you girls to get out of the way if anything goes down."

"Can we defend ourselves at all?" Kim asked.

Paul thought about that for a moment. Then a little grin lit his face. "Got any hairspray and lighters?"

* * *

><p>As it turned out, we didn't need our makeshift flame-throwers. Kim, Emily and I were all sitting on the couch, straining our ears for the slightest indication of any approaching threat, when the phone rang again. All of us jumped.<p>

Paul grabbed the cordless so fast the base went flying off the table. "Yeah?"

His whole body slumped against the wall behind him. Tension poured away from him. "Anyone hurt?"

He nodded. "That'll heal by tomorrow. Need help with the clean up?"

He frowned, his eyes moving quickly to my face and then away. A growl started deep in his chest. I barely had time to see the vibrating before he exploded in a burst of ripping fabric.

Kim screamed as the phone clattered to the floor in several pieces. Emily jumped off the couch and ran for the kitchen, toward the other phone. I stood slowly from the couch, watching Paul pacing back and forth across the living room. Thankfully the room was larger than the kitchen. The phone wouldn't have been the only casualty if we'd stayed in the kitchen.

"Paul?" I reached a hand out toward the silver fur that stood straight up on his back.

He turned to me, bumping his head against my side. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, waiting for Emily to call Seth back and find out what had angered Paul to the point of phasing.

She walked into the room a minute later, her eyes wide. "Victoria showed up with another vampire. The boys were fighting them and losing when Edward showed up. While they were taking care of her sidekick, he took out Victoria."

I heard the words the came out of her mouth, but they didn't really sink in. She couldn't be gone. Just like that. Without ever laying a finger on me. The story line in my head had things going in such a different direction; I couldn't reconcile the two.

Besides, Paul was still upset. He couldn't be upset if everything was over. Nothing about what he had said should have upset Paul.

"Ok." I stated evenly.

"He won't leave until he speaks with you."

Oh.

Oh that little prick. He was going to make another pass at me. He would play the knight in shining armor card.

I straightened, reaching for the phone. She handed it over warily, eyeing the wolf who had begun to growl quietly again beside me. I hit redial and waited impatiently for Seth to pick up.

"Yeah?" He answered anxiously.

"Tell that bastard that I'm coming."

I handed the phone back to Emily so Seth could give her directions and turned to Paul. "Well? Are you going to ride with me or run?"

He glared up at me.

I nodded. "Too angry?" Snorting, I turned for the door. "Yeah. I'm so mad I'd be in the same shape if I had that stupid wolf gene."

Emily and Kim piled into the truck beside me. Then Emily directed me to the spot and I drove as fast as the truck would allow. Paul ran. I could see him every so often. He wasn't trying to stay hidden, not that I could tell.

We had to get out and hike after a certain point. There wasn't even a parking lot for the truck. I had to leave it on the side of the road. Emily said the spot where the boys were waiting for us wasn't too far into the trees. And she was right.

Edward wasn't working too hard on being inconspicuous either. I spotted him as soon as we stepped into the clearing. It would have been difficult not to, what with him standing next to the fire, three wolves circling him.

He smiled widely when he saw me, which elicited yet another threatening growl from the wolf at my side. Edward ignored the sound and took a step toward me. I held a hand up.

"I can hear you just fine from there."

He stopped but held a beckoning hand out toward me. "Bella, I did it. I protected you. I eliminated the threat against you."

Four wolves protested loudly.

"You're safe now. There's no reason for you to remain here, with these beasts. It's time to come home. To me." He gave me an encouraging smile.

Did he really think that I was going to step forward and take it? That the only reason I was with Paul was for protection? My goodness, that hopeful expression on his face, he did. He did believe that.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm already home."

"Don't be ridiculous. They've brainwashed you. A little time away and you'll realize that you belong with me. That you've always belonged with me. You were meant to be a Cullen."

Paul took a menacing step forward, his growl lowering to a deeper timbre. I placed a steadying hand on his back.

"No, Edward. I never belonged with you. Every bad thing that has happened to me since I came to Forks? You brought that into my life. You would only bring more. I don't want to die to be with someone. I don't want to live off of blood. I hate blood. I don't want to change everything about myself just to have a relationship."

"You've got it wrong, Bella. With me you would live forever."

I shook my head. "No. I would be dead. A monster with my face would live forever. Go home, Edward. It's never going to happen. We're never going to happen."

"We can make this work, Bella!"

"No! We can't! I don't want to." I leaned against Paul's body. "I have something with Paul that already works. Just leave."

"Do what she says," Jake called out from the edge of the clearing. He looked weary, worn out, but his shoulders were squared. He'd fought one battle already but he'd fight another if necessary. "Maybe it's time for our little treaty to end. Hmm, Cullen? You ran out as soon as the fighting started."

"I followed Victoria's trail."

Jake nodded as he walked forward. "We didn't know that until you showed up here and the boys relayed that information to us. A little communication would have been nice. That confusion cost us. Carlisle is assessing the wounded then your family is driving them back here."

I gasped. "How many are hurt? Is it bad?"

"Quil and Jared-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Kim screamed and collapsed against Emily. Jake had to rush to her side.

"Kim, we don't have time for this. Jared will be okay. But they have to bring him here before they can patch him up. Some bastard called animal control. Said there was a pack of mutant dogs running loose in the city. And he'll need you to be calm when he gets here or it'll work him up more. We can't have that. Understand?"

Kim nodded shakily.

"Mutant dogs?"

"Yeah. Shit, we should have expected it. Battle in a city like that. Even in an abandoned warehouse district, there had to be witnesses."

"Is it going to cause problems," I asked.

Jake started moving for the truck. "Hell, no way they can prove anything. Battle was rough but fast. Warehouse was burning with the bodies in it long before the authorities showed up. We're just lucky we could get Quil and Jared to phase back. Woulda been awkward otherwise. Hard enough explaining all the blood. We're just lucky those mutant dogs were scared off when they heard sirens. Who would have thought, a group of nice young men trying to stop a fire from getting out of control would have the bad luck to be attacked by wild dogs. Good thing a doctor happened by." He popped the truck door open and motioned us toward it impatiently. "Let's get moving. Need to be ready for them when they get here."

"Bella-" Edward started again.

I glared at him. "No, Edward. This is the last time you will see me. Or the treaty is off. Understand?"

The hopeful light in his eyes died. He nodded somberly before turning away. One moment I was glaring at his back and the next he was gone. A second later Paul's muscles relaxed slightly beneath my hand. So Edward must have really run out of the area.

The drive back to Emily's felt longer than the drive out. All I could think about was the hurt wolves. How badly were they hurt? It hadn't escaped my notice the way Jake had glossed over that. He didn't want to alarm us, especially since Jared was involved and Kim was right there. He hadn't given any real details. We didn't even know what kind of injuries they had.

Once we pulled into her driveway, Emily and I climbed out of the truck. But Kim stayed put. She crossed her arms, meeting Jake's eyes as he stood in the driver's side doorway. "You're taking me to Jared. I can keep him calm while you transport him."

"He's already on his way, Kim."

Her eyes hardened. "He's in pain. We can meet them on the road. Make the drive a little easier for him. It will be easier for him with me there."

Jake cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You didn't seem very put together back there."

"It took me by surprise. I can do this for him. I _am_ doing this for him. Get in the damn truck. Now. We have to go help him."

Jake grinned as he slid into the seat. "Yes ma'am."

Warm arms wrapped around me as the truck drove away. "You stayed."

The words confused me. I stared after the truck, trying to make sense of Paul's statement. Why would I have left? For a moment I thought he was referring to the truck disappearing around the curve. That he assumed I'd run off to help the wounded. Then I realized he mean Edward. Had he been afraid that I would take Edward up on his offer?

They were both idiots.

"I'm never going to leave you for another guy, Paul."

He paused a second before responding. "So I only have to worry about chicks…hot."

I snorted and slapped the arm around my waist. "Funny. I'll be gone only as long as I have to for college. And then I'll never leave again."

"Mmmm." He burrowed his nose into my hair. "I like that."

His lips found my neck. I leaned back against his chest and hummed softly in response. "And I like that."

He chuckled low and soft, sending a shiver down my spine. "Yeah? We don't really have to stick around here anymore you know. We could go back home."

"We should really stay to help them with Quil and Jared."

"We're not doctors or nurses. We'd only be in the way."

I thought about that for a second. Or tried to anyway. He'd moved the hair away from my neck and was pressing slow open-mouthed kisses from the back of my neck toward the front.

I almost stopped thinking altogether. His lips were very persuasive, especially when he wasn't talking. At the last second though my conscience kicked me hard enough to clear my lust clouded mind. "We can't disappear to go have fun while your pack mates are hurting. We have to try to help them."

"Fuck," he groaned with a pained voice. "Fine."

So we moved into the house to help Emily prepare for the patients. The guest room was always ready but we had to cover the couch with a sheet. She also had a well-stocked first aid kit. A very well stocked first aid kit. It looked like she had raided the reservation clinic and stolen half of their supplies. She was prepared to triage the entire pack.

It turned out we were more in the way after all when Jake and Carlisle returned with Quil and Jared. Carlisle required the help of Jake and a few of the other wolves to reset bones. And Kim was needed to help keep Jared calm during the process. I wasn't sure how she managed to stay so collected during the process. But she was a rock.

She stood at his head, smoothing his hair and whispering soothing words in his ears. Occasionally her chin would quiver when he would cry out particularly loudly. But she held firm.

Carlisle had to repeat the process for Quil. He didn't have the benefit of an imprint to anchor him. He screamed. He screamed until he passed out from the pain.

Then the doctor had to treat the other wounds. The bites. The venom apparently wasn't deadly but their superior immune systems didn't deal with it as quickly as an average wound. Carlisle had to clean out the bites thoroughly. Quil didn't notice the treatment, being unconscious already, but Jared shifted around uncomfortably, which only jarred his setting bones.

It was a long evening.

Eventually though everyone had done everything they could for the injured boys. The vampires left, returning to their own home. And a vigil began beside the injured pack members.

"You guys don't need to stay," Kim murmured from her spot on the bed.

Seth shook her head. "He'd be here for us."

"Well, maybe one can stay. It's a bit crowded in here," she suggested.

The room was a little small to cram five people.

I turned to Paul. "We could go downstairs with Quil."

"It's not any better down there," Seth interjected. "Everyone else is crowded around the couch, staring at him. They all feel sorry for him since he doesn't have a hot chick in bed with him."

Paul snorted. "Makes sense."

Kim blushed.

Paul closed his eyes. "Might as well get used to us, Kim. I'm not leaving until he can sit up."

* * *

><p>Jared rolled over half-way through the night. The move elicited a groan of pain but he had done it on his own. I took the move as an encouraging sign. He wouldn't have been able to roll like that if he was hurting too badly. Right? Right.<p>

By morning he was awake and anxious to get out of bed. He wasn't quite there yet. He had some recovering to do still. But he was able to gingerly push himself up to a semi-seated position once Seth and Paul helped Kim arrange some supporting pillows behind his head. He was able to stay that way long enough to eat until he had to lay down again.

Quil was further along in the recovery process. He hadn't been hurt as extensively. Jared had been caught in a one-armed hug by a newborn vampire and had broken his collar bone as well as several ribs. He'd also broken his leg in a couple places in the ensuing fight to free himself. Quil had broken an arm, a leg and suffered the bites. He was seated at the kitchen table when Paul and I walked downstairs.

It was enough for Paul to decide that we could go home. We did stick around long enough to be polite. And of course we had to eat. Emily had gone to all the trouble of cooking. Paul couldn't turn down the good she had slaved over. It would be rude.

He stretched as soon as we were out of the house, popping his neck. We were both a little sore after spending the night on the ground. I hadn't done that since the last sleepover I'd had as a kid.

"Man, it's good to be out of there. I love those guys, but damn, the walls were starting to crowd in."

I hummed in agreement, absently rubbing my neck. He gently pushed my hand away, replacing it with his. The combined heat of his skin and the pressure of his massaging fingers instantly melted the pain away.

He stepped closer, looming over me. "So, uh, how tired are you?"

I laughed, noticing the fire in his eyes. "Well, I could go back to bed."

His lips tilted into a grin. "I'll race you."

And then he picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and ran. I was still laughing when we reached his bedroom door. He pressed me up against it, staring down at me with predatory eyes.

"You can't have a race if only one person is running," I commented, my breath ragged from laughing.

His smile widened. "Rematch then. And I'll let you win this time."

His hands slid to the hem of my shirt. "Time to start your engines."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Disclosure: I did not write Twilight**

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"So you just have to sign here," I tapped the parent signature line. "I already filled it out and everything."

Charlie leaned back. "It's a little late in the year to be applying for a student loan isn't it?"

My lips twisted into a frown. He had to make this difficult. "Yes. So why don't you sign this real quick so we can throw it in the mail?"

"This must be hard on your boyfriend. You going away to college while he stays back on the reservation, stuck in high school for another year. Or is it two?"

Fine. Charlie wanted to have a heart to heart. We'd have one. "Actually, Paul finished his GED work this past week. He's finished with school."

Charlie's mustache twitched as his lips settled into an unhappy line. "That right? He going to college next year?"

"No. Paul's not really the college type. He'll be working with Sam in construction. He's really good with tile and stone work."

My father grunted neutrally in response.

"To answer your earlier question, Paul is happy for me. He wants me to get a degree."

Charlie's didn't look convinced.

"Of course he's going to miss me. But we'll call each other. And we'll visit each other when we can."

Charlie leaned forward. "Bells. Maybe it would be better to cool things off with Paul before you leave for college. Long distance relationships have a history of not working out."

"Ours will be different."

"I don't want to see you hurt. I'm not saying one of you will cheat on the other, or anything like that. But you'll be busy with school work, even on the weekends. Scheduled phone calls will be missed. Feelings will be hurt. Resentment builds up. It can turn ugly faster than you would expect."

"I appreciate your concern, Dad. We'll be careful not to let that happen to us."

He took in my response, studying my face. I felt like we should be down at the station rather than his kitchen table.

"You care about this guy."

I shrugged, nervously tapping the table with the pen in my hand. "Well, yeah. Someone has to care about him. He acts like he's all big and tough, but he's more fragile on the inside than he wants anyone to know.

"His friend was really sick the other day. Paul was at that bedside until he knew Jared was okay. He slept on the floor." I felt bad lying yet again to my father, but I had to give the story that was given to the public at large to explain Quil and Jared's weakness for a few days. "His friends are closer than family and he'd die to protect them."

"He's been a good friend to you," Charlie agreed.

"He still is."

Charlie chuckled. "I thought you were going to hit him upside the head with a frying pan that first time he told you that you were going running."

I nodded. "He knew it would help with the nightmares and would make me healthier. Help me stop moping. He didn't care if I was happy about it or not." I smiled, lost in thought. "That's what a lot of our relationship has been like. Him pushing me kicking and screaming into things that are for my own good, no matter how unhappy they might make me in the short run."

Charlie frowned a little. "What kind of things has he pushed you into?"

"Ugh. Seriously? You really think I would still be with him if he had tried anything like that? And how would you think I would say that was for my own good? I'm not stupid."

"I'm your dad. I had to check."

"Fine. No. He didn't push me into anything pervy. Ever. Paul's not like that."

"He's a teenage boy. They're all like that."

"He must be mature for his age because he didn't. He thought I was the one rushing things."

Charlie's face flashed bright red and he immediately shifted away in the chair, crossing his arms. "So. These papers you want me to sign."

"Right." My face burned as I realized how much I had given away with a few words. I shoved the packet of paper a little closer to him. "An application for financial aid so I can hopefully start college in the fall. Like you said, I'm getting a late start. I'd like to get these in the mail today. I filled them out last night but you should probably check them over."

"I trust you, Bells." Charlie took the pen from my hand, scribbled his name across the bottom and pushed them back toward me.

I stood, intent on folding the paperwork and shoving it in the envelope. Then I had to get it to the post office.

"Hey, Bells. Uh, if you and Paul don't have plans for tonight, you guys can come over for dinner." He looked nervous offering.

My lips pulled into a wide smile. "We'll be here."

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

I watched her closely as she pulled her hair into an elastic band. On the outside she seemed calm. I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary coming across the bond. But appearances had to be deceiving. She couldn't be handling the news so well.

She sent me a bright smile as she bounced onto the bed next to me. "Dinner was a lot more comfortable than I expected."

"Hm." I replied, too busy analyzing her facial expressions and body language to think up a more elaborate response.

"Charlie was so normal he was weird! He didn't even give us any crap about living together. What do you think was going on?"

I shrugged.

What was going on in her head? Was she trying to hide her reaction from me? Protect me? Fuck me, that was it. She knew her honest reaction would stab me in the heart so she was putting on a cheerful front. And damn but she was good at it. Woman should move to Hollywood.

A soft hand caressed my arm. "What's wrong Paul?"

The concern in her tone drove me over the edge. "What's wrong? What's fucking wrong? What the fuck do you think is wrong? Cut the bullshit, Bella. Stop acting all happy when we both know you're hurting."

Her face contorting in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

I launched myself off the bed, putting a little distance between us. I was a little too angry to be sitting so close to her. I'd never forgive myself if I hurt her.

"You know what I'm talking about."

She stood and faced me, ignoring the warning growl I gave as she stepped closer. "No, Paul. I really don't. What is going on?"

"Oh, don't act like it doesn't bother you that the leeches are running away again. It's insulting. I want to help you deal with it but I can't until you face it."

Her lips parted in surprise. "Paul…"

Finally. A genuine reaction.

She slowly approached, gauging my reaction. I let her. Now that she was really listening my rage was cooling.

"Paul, Honey, this might be hard to believe, but I don't want them here anymore. I was relieved when Charlie said they were moving out again."

She was right, that was hard to believe.

She stared up into my eyes. "It's hard to believe that they were ever part of my life. It seems like a bad dream. It's really kind of embarrassing. To think that I ever thought they were good for me…I was so stupid."

She shook her head, looking away. "I'm ashamed of myself every time I think about it. And the way I broke down? The pain I put Charlie through? And the way I used Jake afterward? It's just…ugh, I don't even have words for how horrible that makes me feel."

She took a deep breath before lifting her face to meet my gaze once more. "So yes. I was relieved when I heard that they are leaving again. It means I won't run into one of them on the street if I go into Forks. It means I have a chance of putting all of that behind me for good. I want to forget it ever happened."

As badly as I wanted her to do that, I knew I couldn't allow her to.

"Bella, Baby. You can't do that. You can't shove the bad memories away into a dark closet and lock the door. That never works."

I pulled her into my chest. "You can't deny your past. You can't lock part of yourself away. You have to own it. It's part of who you are. It shaped you into the person you are. And I love the person you are. You can learn from it and move on. Heal from it. But you can't pretend it never happened."

"I don't want to think about it anymore," she whined into my chest.

I chuckled. "Don't dwell on it. That would be fucking stupid. But don't hide from it either. Go about your life. Don't go looking for it but when it comes up, deal with it."

"Fine. I think I can handle that." She squeezed me tightly. "Thank you, Paul."

I shrugged. "Hey. It's what I'm here for."

She pulled away quickly with a frown. "Don't talk like that. It makes me feel like I'm using you. Like I'm repeating the mistakes I made with Jake."

I snorted. "Yeah, well you never slept with him. If that's how you use me, you can use me all you want, Baby."

Finally, a giggle out of her. She was coming out of the funk she had fallen into.

She nuzzled her head against my chest. "Poor Jake. I tried to like him, but he was destined to always be my brother. Then you came along and I tried not to like you and I wound up loving you anyway."

My heart skipped a beat. Or maybe it beat a couple extra times. Then it started speeding. What the fuck had she just said? Had she just admitted that she loved me?

She jerked her gaze back up to mine, her eyes wide. "I mean…um…you know…I lik-"

"Uh-uh," I interrupted her with a wide grin. "You're not getting out of this one. You just said you love me. _Loooove_ me. You finally admitted it."

Her cheeks turned bright red. It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. She was so embarrassed.

Giving up, she dropped her forehead against my chest. Laughing, I rubbed small circles on her back. "It's okay. It was inevitable. Who would be able to resist me? No one, that's who."

Her shoulders shook a little. For a split second panic shot through me. She wasn't crying, was she? Was she seriously upset that she blurted that out? Or that she felt such strong emotions for me? Then I realized she was laughing with me.

Pushing gently against her I took a step toward the bed. "Come on, _Lover, _let's head to bed."

That got her attention. Shooting me a playful frown, she smacked my arm lightly. "Shut it, Paul."

Dad, who had been walking by the door at that moment paused, sending us a questioning look and a grin.

I grinned back at him. "Nothing to see. Just a lover's spat."

Bella rushed over to the bed, grabbed a pillow and quickly threw it at my head. She missed of course. The girl had no aim. "Shut up!"

Chuckling, Dad reached into the room to pull the door closed. Nodding toward the bed, he sent me a wink as he pulled the door closed. "Well, don't waste any time. Go make up."

"Yes, Sir," I called out loud enough for him to hear as he headed down the hall to his room. Then I turned to Bella. She was bright red now.

She held out a hand. "Don't come anywhere near me."

I prowled closer. "Oh, but you know you _love_ when I'm near you."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 – Epilogue**

**Disclosure: Twilight is not mine**

* * *

><p><strong>PPOV<strong>

She would look beautiful on that stage. Beautiful but off color. She was a little grayish-green. Bella had been complaining of nerves all morning, even running to the bathroom halfway through breakfast, losing everything she had eaten so far.

Charlie had sipped his coffee quietly, leaving the comforting up to me. He knew I'd beat him to it anyway. I had wiped her neck with a damp cloth and held her carefully curled hair back out of the way. She'd be seriously upset if she had to go through the hassle of washing and fixing her hair all over again. She hated fixing her hair.

Her stomach had twisted the rest of the morning as she paced her apartment, wringing her hands. The graduation ceremony couldn't come fast enough for Bella. Having such a large audience was not her idea of a good time.

All she had to do was climb up the stairs at one side of the stage, walk across when her name was called, accept the diploma, and get down the stairs on the other side without falling. She could manage that. If she concentrated. The combination of stairs, heels and an audience was formidable for someone with such klutzy tendencies.

I smiled as she glanced back at me from her position in the seats near the front of the large university auditorium. She was looking a little panicky again. Was she going to vomit? Too many people near her had bathed in perfume and cologne. Any strong scent was going to set her off and she was sitting in a miasma of that shit.

My hands clenched. I was completely helpless back in the family section. I couldn't jump to her aid. She'd have to handle it on her own. And yeah, she was completely capable of handling herself now. But I wanted to help her. I wanted to make it all better. Because, fuck, I'd gotten her into this mess.

"So, does she know?" Charlie asked evenly.

I cut my eyes to him, not daring to move much else. The question was too close to my own train of thought. What _was _he? Some kind of fucking mind reader? "Know what?"

Charlie shifted in his seat, leaning a bit toward me. "Does she know yet?"

I let out a deep breath of air, sagging in my seat. "No. Or at least, I don't think so."

Her father stared at me before letting out a short, sharp laugh. "You are in so much trouble boy."

I turned to him, speaking low, quietly, but fast. "Look, I don't know how it happened! She was taking care of that side of things. And I have no idea how I'm supposed to tell her. Or if I tell or…Maybe I should just let her figure it out for herself?"

Charlie grinned at me, his mustache twitching. "You think that's a good idea? Hiding anything from her? Yeah. You do that. See how she reacts to you knowing and not telling her."

Crossing my arms I turned away from him just as a procession of robed professors started climbing the stairs up to the stage. "Fuck."

Embry was the first to approach me. I was standing off by myself, holding my cup of punch and anxiously watching Bella chat happily with Emily and Kim. Her graduation party was going well. Her stomach was still a little upset but had calmed somewhat with the help of Emily's cooking and some Sprite.

He threw an arm over my shoulder. "Bet you're happy to have her back. Specially now."

I sighed. Fuck. They all knew. They could smell it. I would have to tell her before one of them let it slip.

I nodded at him. "Yeah. It's good to have her home."

He smirked at me. "So, has Charlie tried to shoot you yet?"

I shook my head, still focused on Bella as she smiled down at Kim and Jared's toddler daughter.

"He'll try to kill you once he hears. Knocking up his unwed daughter."

"He knows," I muttered, then raised my cup to my lips to take a sip.

"And he didn't have a shit fit? Huh."

"He figured it out on his own. He thinks the punishment I'll get from her is better than anything he can dish out."

Embry's attention shot out to Bella. "Wait. _She_ doesn't know?"

We stared at her together for a long moment. Then he slapped me on the back. "You're a dead man."

He walked away laughing. After that the word spread quickly through the pack. I could feel their eyes darting between me and Bella. Then the laughing. A couple of them tried to give me advice. Sam's was the most reasonable.

"Marry her."

I shrugged. "If she would. She doesn't like marriage."

"Get her a stuffed crane," Quil suggested.

It took me a moment to puzzle out where he was coming from with that one. Then I smacked him upside the head. "It's a stork dumbass."

He shrugged. "Either way. It gets the point across."

"Pregnancy test would probably paint a clearer picture," Jake responded.

I snorted. "Yeah. Wolf smell isn't really a scientifically accepted method."

Sam's hand descended on my shoulder. "However you do it, you need to do it soon. How far along is she?"

I shrugged. "Can't be too far or she'd know. Four? Five weeks?"

He nodded. "Don't let it go much further or it'll be a fight. And you do not want to fight with a pregnant lady."

Jared shuddered. "Hell no."

* * *

><p><strong>BPOV<strong>

"Did you like your party," Paul asked as we settled on our couch.

Our couch. Such a nice thought. We'd been apart for so long, only sharing the weekends and a few days a week when he could get away from patrol.

"I did," I replied, cuddling into him.

"Good." He squeezed me tightly. "Good."

Okay. Something wasn't right. He sounded a little nervous. Pulling away, I studied his face. "What is it?"

He gave me a nervous little smile. "I...uh…I got you something."

"Paul, I told you not to get me anything for graduation," I protested.

Anxiety started eating at me as he pushed away from the couch. What if he'd ignored all of our talks on the matter and done something stupid? What if he'd gotten an engagement ring? I loved Paul. I did. But I couldn't marry him. I didn't want to marry anyone. Ever. Why couldn't he understand that?

A plastic sack rustled. Frowning, I bobbed around on the couch, trying to see around his body. A ring would not be in a plastic sack. Right? My anxiety eased a bit. Okay. Okay. It probably wasn't anything so drastic. It was probably something more appropriate.

His shoulders lifted and fell with a deep breath. Like he was steeling himself for something. Shit. It was an engagement ring.

He spun around. "I'm sorry this is gonna come across as really weird…but you need to take this. And I know how it's gonna come out but I figure you won't believe me until you see for yourself. Oh, and I got you some chocolates as an apology of sorts. Or congratulations I guess. Depending on how you feel about this development. But I know you hadn't planned on this for a few more years. And I don't know how it happened. I mean, if I'd known that it was a possibility, that whatever you were doing wouldn't work, I'd have taken precautions, you know? So…yeah…I'm sorry."

I stared at the white plastic bag, completely bewildered. What on earth was he talking about? Reaching forward, I took the sack, peeling back the opening to see what was inside. I saw the chocolate first. A whole bag full. How big was this supposed mistake?

Then I saw it.

Oh.

OH.

The vomiting. The way my breasts had been hurting the past week.

That stupid cold that had turned into a sinus infection, requiring antibiotics. When was that? A little over a month earlier. Only then, staring at the pregnancy test, did I remember a warning from years earlier when I'd first started the birth control. Something about antibiotics and birth control.

My gaze moved up to Paul's face. He was chewing on his lip, watching me carefully. He was leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed tensely. My heart broke a little for him. How long had he known? How long had he worried over my reaction to this?

Putting the sack and its contents aside, I stood and crossed the room. Pulling Paul's arms away from his chest, I replaced them with my body and wrapped my arms around him.

I didn't speak immediately. I let myself think about what this meant. I let myself envision a small child in our lives. Growing. The traits that the child could inherit from both of us.

"I don't care what the rules are, this child will be prepared to phase. He or she will know it's a possibility and will know what the signs are," I declared.

He was quiet for a moment. Then, "that's your reaction?"

I shrugged, looking up at him. "Yes."

"What about the timing? You wanted to wait. You were going to have a career for awhile first."

"I'm going to be helping the people here on the rez, Paul. The people here love babies. Why not take the kid with me?"

His lips spread wide in a smile that showed blazing white teeth. Then he was squeezing me and spinning me around the room. A few seconds later my feet were on the ground but the room was still spinning. It had nothing to do with Paul's enthusiasm of a few seconds earlier though and everything to do with the passion of his kiss.

I broke away reluctantly. "We're supposed to have dinner with our fathers."

"Fuck 'em," Paul growled before attacking my throat.

"Mmmm," I hummed, my hands working at his shirt. "I'd rather eat you anyway."

With a laugh Paul picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and headed for the bedroom. "Who am I to disappoint the pregnant lady?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, that's it folks. I know some of you wanted me to keep this going. But I couldn't really envision what I would write next. Anything past this point would only be diary entries detailing their daily life. Not really what I'm going for here. <strong>

**Anyway, I really appreciate all the great feedback I've gotten from all of my wonderful readers. You guys have been great. **


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